A 24-year-old Killarney man with a number of previous convictions has pleaded guilty to stealing a bottle of Gucci Guilty perfume from a Waterville pharmacy .
Denis O’Brien of Hazlewood Drive, Killarney “threw” €10 on the counter and said he would be back with the rest. The incident occurred last October, Cahersiveen District court was told yesterday.
He had made no reply when arrested and charged with the theft on October 29th, 2014, of the bottle of “Gucci Guilty” perfume worth €42 at Waterville pharmacy, Waterville, the court was told.
He pleaded guilty and wanted to tell his story, his solicitor Padraig O’Connell told the court.
“He pleads guilty to the Gucci Guilty perfume. It is always worth listening to the story, ” Judge James O’Connor said inviting Mr O’Brien to take the stand to explain what had occurred.
“It was a genuine mistake. I gave her ( the manageress) a €10 deposit and I told her I would be back. I left my telephone number, ” Mr O’Brien said.
There had been a number of family matters and the outstanding balance had slipped his mind.
He had just been passing through Waterville at the time, he added.
However inspector John Brennan, prosecuting, said the State had “a different view” of the matter.
“He threw a tenner on the counter, took the perfume and said I will be back with the rest.”
Judge James O’Connor said the manager probably expected him to go to the car for the money and return immediately. Mr O’Brien’s was “a ruacán” of a story, “ruacán” with a fada the judge said.
“This is stuff for the fairies,” Judge O’Connor then explained.
There were a dozen or more pharmacies in Killarney, where the accused was from, with all sorts of perfume “guilty and not guilty” the judge also said.
The father of two, said he was uneducated and unemployed. The court also heard the younger child was just three days old.
Inspector Brennan said Mr O’Brien had 35 previous convictions, most for road traffic offences. Six of the previous were for theft and or deception and he had served time previously.
Judge O’Connor said it certainly seemed the accused had been “around the block” and to spin such a yarn was unacceptable.
He ordered him to pay €250 to compensate the manageress for the embarrassment and adjourned the matter and remanded Mr O’Brien on bail to April 9th by which time the compensation will have to be paid.
“You need a serious chat with yourself, Mr O’Brien,”the judge said.
He had already paid the €32 outstanding to the Waterville shop for the perfume, the court was told.