TRAVEL THEFT:AN AMERICAN TOURIST who was left to run a hostel in return for accommodation skimmed €2,000 from its takings.
Russell Savala, who arrived in Galway a fortnight ago after busking his way through Europe, struck a deal with the acting manager of Nimmo’s Hostel, on Upper Dominick Street, to work in return for lodgings.
But over six days the 27-year-old stole €2,029.72 from money that customers had paid for accommodation.
At Galway District Court on Tuesday, Savala, who is originally from Fresno, in California, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft between August 10th and August 15th.
Insp Mick Coppinger told Judge Conal Gibbons that Savala had been “placed in a position of trust and left to his own devices”. Once the discrepancies were noticed the owner of the hostel alerted the Garda.
Savala’s solicitor, Adrian MacLynn, said the “bizarre” accommodation arrangement, which the court heard the owner had not known about, left his client in charge of the hostel.
The court was told that all but €50 of the money had been recovered and that Savala had no previous convictions in the Republic. The judge fined him €2,000 and granted leave to appeal.