A burglar who fled a garden centre with a trolley full of stolen shrubs and flowers left a trail of compost behind him, leading gardaí to his home nearby, a court has heard.
At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, solicitor for Eamon Quinn (38), Tara Godfrey, admitted that her client’s €500 theft of garden products from Vaughan’s Garden Centre, Gort Road Industrial Estate on Ennis’s Gort Rd, on February 10th last was “cartoonish”.
Sgt Frank O’Grady told the court that Mr Quinn had taken flowers, shrubs and stone ornaments from the centre and a trail of compost he left behind led gardaí to his home a short distance away at Aughanteeroe, Gort Rd, Ennis.
In the case, Mr Quinn – appearing in court today via video link from Limerick Prison – has pleaded guilty to the offence on the night of February 10th.
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Ms Godfrey told the court that Mr Quinn went to the garden centre and filled up his trolley and then walked the trolley along the pavement to his home.
She said: “The gardaí then follow the trail of compost and find pots and various gardening items that have been stolen from Vaughan’s in his back garden and Eamon Quinn is arrested, charged and comes to court and pleads guilty.”
Ms Godfrey said that her client apologises for the offence and has been on remand in custody since March 17th on the charge.
Ms Godfrey said that her client doesn’t have a clear memory of the incident at Vaughan’s Garden Centre as he was taking medication he was prescribed for health difficulties at the time.
Ms Godfrey said that her client was in a road traffic accident a number of years ago that resulted in him sustaining an acquired brain injury.
Sgt O’Grady said that Mr Quinn has 66 previous convictions, which include 15 previous for theft and five for burglary.
Judge Alec Gabbett remanded Mr Quinn for a further two weeks in custody for a probation report to be presented to court on April 23rd.
