Enniskillen Magistrates Court
THREE people from the South have been giving suspended sentences for stealing over £4,500 worth of items from shops across Enniskillen at the weekend.
Colm Quinn (42) of Library Hall, Tullamore, Co Offaly, and Siobhan Moylan (39) and Zoe Lynch (20), both of Kyleoughe Shinrone, Birr, also Co Offaly, appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday after being arrested on Saturday.
They were each charged with the theft of various household items from B&M Bargains to the value of £244.83, household items from Houston’s to the value of £440.95, items of clothing and toiletries from Heaton’s to the value £736.15 , clothes from Sports Direct to the value of £1866.10, toiletries valued at £524.75 from New Look, clothes worth £582 from River Island, and items of jewellery valued at £129.91 belonging to Quiz, all last Saturday, March 11.
They were each also charged with handling stolen goods and the attempted theft of various items valued at £560.69 from Asda on the same day, as well as the theft of good valued at around £700 from Asda on February 25.
The trio were caught after police received a report from security staff at Asda who told them four people, one of whom had the charges against them withdrawn, had entered the store on February 25, filled two trolleys with goods, and left without paying for the items.
Then, on Saturday, the staff saw the four people return, along with a fifth person who later fled the scene. Again, the defendants had filled two trolleys full of goods. This time they abandoned the trolleys when they saw police approach.
Police then located two Renault Laguna cars, one with a Mayo registration and the other with a Dublin registration. In these cars they located over £4,500 worth of items stolen from Enniskillen shops including B&M Bargains, New Look, River Island and Houston’s. The items found included two black suitcases stolen from and containing items from Sports Direct.
After this, officers obtained CCTV from both Asda and Enniskillen town streets, which showed the defendants placing items in the trolley in Asda, and them entering the stores they’d stolen from empty handed then leaving which full shopping bags.
District Judge Bonita Boyd said the offences warranted a custodial sentence, stating the three had gone out and seemingly decided to steal as much as they could from as many shops as they could.
Looking at Quinn’s record, she said he had made a career out of such behaviour, while she said Lynch was associating with seasoned criminals and it had landed her in court.
Judge Boyd sentenced Lynch to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, while she sentenced both Quinn and Moylan to eight months in prison, suspended for two-and-a-half years. She also ordered each defendant to pay restitution of £233 to Asda.
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere