A man who stole an 84,000 yacht in Crosshaven and was also convicted of stealing Rolex watches in Kilkenny and Galway was given 14 months in jail yesterday.
In passing sentence, the judge said he did not want to minimise the seriousness of crimes involving property, but there had been no violence used in any of the offences.
The man, Lawrence Andrew McMillan (53), of no fixed address, was attempting to sail around the Cornish coast to Lincolnshire in the stolen yacht to see his five-year-old daughter, but he ended up being rescued by the Falmouth Coastguard and taken to hospital, the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee, Co Kerry, heard.
He was also convicted of the theft of Rolex watches, in one case solid gold, from jewellers in Galway and Kerry.
McMillan was born in Scotland but spent much of his life in Canada. From around 2001 he had been living alone in a caravan in Castlebar.
He had once worked as an engineer but turned to a life of crime after difficulties with the Revenue Commissioners, his barrister, Mr Tom Rice, said.
He had convictions for theft and one case of forgery in a number of countries, including England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, France and Monaco.
Fifteen of his last 30 years had been spent in prison, and on one occasion he had agreed to serve in the French Foreign Legion in lieu of a prison sentence. More recently, he had returned to crime after the break-up of a relationship.
Det Sgt Dan Keane told the court that McMillan, who was educated, had made contact with a marine sales agent in Crosshaven, Co Cork, about buying a yacht. The 34ft, Jeanneau-built yacht Providence was for sale at the Crosshaven marina.
The co-owner of the yacht, Mr Kieran McNamee, met the defendant, and they had a 20-minute conversation. The prospective buyer displayed "a good knowledge of the sea and all things nautical," Det Sgt Keane said. He was then given the keys to the Providence for a trial sailing.
The yacht was not seen again until the Falmouth coastguard organised the airlifting of the accused to the accident and emergency department of a Cornish hospital.
Shortly after setting out from Crosshaven, the weather turned inclement and McMillan took all the sails down. In doing so, however, he fell down the hatch stairs and into the cabin, suffering injuries.
The yacht sustained 18,000 of damage in the storm and was towed to Newlyn harbour in Cornwall where it is still under repair.
In January 2004 McMillan became the first person to be extradited to Ireland under the new Irish-European arrest warrants, Det Sgt Keane said.
His first crime in Ireland was in Killarney on July 15th, 2003, where he entered the Inné jeweller's shop and asked to look at Rolex watches. He was shown two watches worth €12,000 and then immediately left the shop, Det Sgt Keane said.
A week later he entered Hartmanns jeweller's shop in William Street, Galway, where he stole a 17,430 Rolex men's 18ct gold watch with an 18ct gold bracelet. The watches have never been recovered, Det Sgt Keane said.
McMillan co-operated fully with gardaí and pleaded guilty to all three charges. In sentencing, Judge Bryan MacMahon said he was taking into account his co-operation with the gardaí, but in relation to his crimes he added: "One wonders how he expected to get away with them."