The defendant’s sentence was deferred for six months for him to pursue his career as a hairdresser.
A 25-year-old student, who stole money from the Enniskillen Sinn Fein office clothes and the DV8 fashion shop has been ordered to pay £160 restitution.
Leeroy McDonagh of Derrin Road, Enniskillen was also convicted of disorderly behaviour in a separate incident, but has had his sentence deferred for six months to pursue his career as a hairdresser.
The prosecutor at Fermanagh Magistrates Court outlined the nature of events and explained first that on October 5, 2014 police received a report from the Railway Hotel, Enniskillen about the defendant, who was refusing to leave the bar.
When police arrived staff told them McDonagh had been abusive, shouting at bar staff refusing to leave. When officers spoke to McDonagh he again refused to leave the premises.
When he was told to calm down McDonagh remained aggressive and was arrested for disorderly behaviour.
In a separate incident which took place on December 20, 2013 the prosecutor explained that at 8pm police were on beat patrol in Enniskillen when they received a report from the DV8 shop that a jumper and a pair of jeans worth £59.98 had been stolen by a man wearing a purple hoodie and a member of staff pointed in the direction he ran from the store.
Another member of staff identified McDonagh as the perpetrator and when police called him by name asking him to stop, he ignored them and ran on. McDonagh was eventually located and cautioned.
In the final incident the prosecutor outlined that on March 24, 2012 the injured party appeared at Enniskillen Police Station stating that the previous day, between 1.30pm and 2pm £100 had been stolen from her purse in the Sinn Fein office, Market Street, Enniskillen. On March 28, 2012 McDonagh returned to the office and admitted stealing the purse.
He returned the purse, but the money was gone. McDonagh told the injured party he would return the money, but no money was ever received.
Defence solicitor Conor Heaney highlighted that his client was no stranger to the courts and described McDonagh as a ‘bit of a nuisance in the local community’.
He called the theft of clothing “opportunistic” and accepted this behaviour was “indefensible”.
The defence said McDonagh had now began to realise his dishonest behaviour would inevitably result in him spending long periods in custody and highlighted his studies at a local college.
Mr Heaney told the court that McDonagh was studying English, computer skills and hairdressing at the college and noted his desire to pursue a career in the hairdressing profession.
District judge Nigel Broderick said were it not for the pleas of his solicitor and the fact McDonagh was enrolled in a training course he would have imposed a custodial sentence.
The judge deferred the sentence on the conditions that McDonagh does not re-offend and presents a positive pre-sentence report.
“If not you will go to prison for a considerable period of time,” warned the district judge.
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