Thief drank bottle of vodka in Limerick store

AN alcoholic who ‘forced’ his way into a supermarket and drank a bottle of vodka fell asleep in one of the shopping aisles before gardai arrived, a court has heard.

Limerick District Court was told the Lidl store at Childers Road was closed to the public when the incident happened but that there were a number of staff members working there at the time.

George O’Connor, 38, of Castletown, Gort, County Galway pleaded guilty to stealing the €14 bottle of vodka on June 7, 2018.

Sergeant Sean Murray said the defendant was taken to University Hospital Limerick following the incident and that he failed to appear in court on two occasions since.

Judge Mary Larkin was told he was arrested on March 14 last after he entered the Circle K filling station at Roxboro Road and stole a bottle of wine which he drank in the store.

That incident, Sgt Murray said, happened at around 9.30am while the store was open.

“He was still present in the store when gardai arrived. He was intoxicated when he was arrested,” he added.

Solicitor Sarah Ryan said her client, who has 63 previous convictions, has psychiatric problems in addition to his alcohol addiction.

She said Mr O’Connor, who spent a number of days in custody following the most recent incident, began drinking heavily more than a decade ago to “deal with his mental health issues”.

Judge Larkin was told the defendant, who is a qualified mechanic, previously ran his own panel-beating business until his drinking got worse.

“He became a martyr to drink,” said Ms Ryan who urged the court not to jail her client.

Imposing sentence, Judge Larkin commented that if Mr O’Connor does not address his drinking problem “he will be dead soon”.

She imposed a one month prison sentence in relation to the incident at Lidl which she suspended for a year.

A €100 fine was imposed in relation to the incident at Circle K.