A man who denied handling a wallet which had been stolen from a bus passenger claimed that seeking money from the owner for its return was a tradition where he comes from.
Veaceslav Guravliov (25), from Moldova, with an address at Hillsbrook Drive, Kimmage, Dublin, was arrested by undercover gardaí after he set up a meeting with the owner in a bar on the promise that he would be paid €300 for returning the wallet.
He claimed he found it on the ground although its owner said it had been stolen from his jacket pocket during a bus trip to Dublin airport on May 21st, 2004.
Yesterday at Dublin District Court, Guravliov was given a three-month suspended jail sentence after Judge Mary Collins was told he had no previous convictions. She said she was satisfied the charge of handling the stolen wallet had been proved.
The owner told the court he realised the wallet was missing at the end of the trip, having used money from it to pay the bus fare. He and the driver searched the bus for it, but it was not there.
The next day, the owner got a text message saying: "Your purse was found, if interested ring [ a mobile phone number] after 4pm."
When he rang, a man told him if he came up with €300, he could have it back. The man also gave him another number to ring for arrangements to be made for the exchange.
The owner contacted gardaí who were present when Guravliov arrived in a bar with the wallet.