Man who stole €200 from Dublin charity shop jailed

Court hears family of Tallaght man disowned him after he came out

Michael Connors was jailed for five months for stealing €200 cash from  a charity shop
Michael Connors was jailed for five months for stealing €200 cash from a charity shop

A man who stole €200 cash from the back office of a charity shop in west Dublin was jailed for five months on Thursday in Blanchardstown District Court.

Alan Delany, the lawyer acting for Michael Connors, a gay member of the Travelling community, said his client’s family had disowned their son after he came out, although his father had now accepted him.

Drugs

Judge David McHugh asked why Mr Connors had gone to the St Vincent de Paul charity shop in March 2016 and robbed it. Mr Delany said Mr Connors, (25) of St Mary’s Close, Belgard Road in Tallaght, Co Dublin, had taken drink and drugs.

Judge McHugh said Mr Connor’s crime was “reprehensible”. He had been treated leniently by the courts to date, including at Bray District Court where he was sentenced to 60 hours of community service last March for two counts of theft.