A TIPPERARY man, described by a Circuit Court judge as “a marauding thief”, has been sentenced to two years in prison with the final year suspended for cutting down and stealing ash trees from ancient, protected woodland owned by Libertas Ireland founder Declan Ganley and his neighbour.
John Keane (33), of New Houses, Faugheen, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, admitted driving around the country for many years looking for mature ash trees he could chop down and sell to hurley-makers in his home county.
However, he denied the theft of eight mature ash trees, valued at €900 each, taken from woodland owned by Mr Ganley at Moyne Park, Tuam, on Friday, June 12th, 2009, during a two-day trial at Galway Circuit Criminal Court in March, and he also denied stealing 16 ash trees from Mr Ganley’s neighbour, Thomas McHugh, on the same occasion.
The judge agreed to put a stay on the commital order until September 1st, to allow Keane to be present at the birth of his third child next month.