Judge tells Limerick man 'you're going to have a lot of reading ahead of you in prison'

A JUDGE told a Limerick man facing 66 charges as part of an alleged €1m burglary spree that “you are going to have a lot of reading ahead of you” when his book of evidence is delivered to him in prison.

At Ennis District Court this Wednesday, Judge Alec Gabbett sent Eddie Carey, aged 31, of De Vere Court, John Carew Park, Limerick forward to the next sittings of Ennis Circuit Court later this month for trial.

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In court today, Garda Emmet Roche gave evidence of serving the six volume book of evidence on solicitor Tara Godfrey, acting as agent, for Mr Carey.

Mr Carey was appearing via video-link from Limerick prison where he has been on remand since January after failing to secure bail.

Judge Gabbett told Mr Carey that the book of evidence in the case “is very substantial”.

He told Mr Carey: “You are going to have a lot of reading ahead of you when this gets to you in prison."

The 66 charges include two alleged offences at Wolfe Tones GAA club - the club of Clare All-Ireland winning senior hurling manager and double All Ireland winner as a player, Brian Lohan.

Mr Carey's co-accused, Owen Casey, aged 28, of Salvia Court, Keyes Park, Southill, Limerick is facing 59 charges bringing to 125 charges the two men are facing.

Judge Gabbett also returned Mr Casey for trial today to Ennis Circuit Court after the same six volume book of evidence was served on his solicitor, Ms Godfrey. 

The two men are facing charges as part of an overall garda investigation into an estimated €1m in value in property that has been allegedly stolen or damaged in a spate of burglaries across Limerick, Clare and Galway.

No monetary value has been put on the alleged multiple burglaries that Mr Carey and Mr Casey are charged with.

Mr Carey has been on remand in custody since January 19 after he was refused bail and Mr Casey has been in custody since April 13 after also failing to secure bail.

Both are charged with causing €16,000 in criminal damage to the bar counter of Wolfe Tones GAA Clubhouse in Shannon on July 9, 2024.

Mr Carey is also charged with arson where is accused of damaging by fire the entrance steps to Wolfe Tones on the same date.

In evidence previously heard at a bail hearing for Mr Casey, Det Garda Aoife O’Malley told the bail hearing that Mr Casey along with two of his associates are suspected to be involved in burglaries and stealing high value vehicles across the Mid-West with a combined estimated monetary value in excess of €1m

Det Garda O'Malley said that the garda investigation commenced out of Ennis garda station last July and is investigating 92 separate alleged offences with a monetary value of in excess of €1m in stolen and damaged property and stolen vehicles.

Det Garda O’Malley said that  the 92 separate alleged offences include 31 commercial burglaries, 24 residential burglaries and 27 unauthorised taking of vehicles between January 2024 and March 2025.

Det Garda O’Malley said that it will be alleged that the high value vehicles were stolen to buy for another criminal network for financial gain. Det Garda O’Malley said that the burglaries were “highly organised”.

Det Garda O’Malley said that in relation to some of the unauthorised taking of vehicles, there are videos of the alleged crimes occurring at the time that they are occurring.

Judge Gabbett remanded the two accused in custody to the next sittings of Ennis Circuit Court on July 15.