PC World worker who stole €27k of Apple goods gets community service

A PC World worker who stole €27,000-worth of Apple products from his workplace and sold it to another store in a "stupid" attempt to make money has been ordered to perform community service.

Eoin Giles (21) of Thornville Ave, Kilbarrack, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of stealing a quantity of Apple Macbook laptops, Apple watches and iPads from the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre store on April 15th 2016.

Judge Karen O’Connor noted the offence represented a great breach of trust, given that Giles was a trusted employee of PC World. She said there was an “element of greed” to the offence.

She said a probation report before the court assessed him to be at low risk of re-offending and suitable for community service. Giles had €1,000 in court to hand over as a token of remorse.

She ordered Giles to carry out 240 hours community service in lieu of two years imprisonment.

Garda Niamh Dunphy told Dean Kelly BL, prosecuting, that gardaí­ were called to the store in April 2016 after a stock-take showed that a large quantity of stock was missing. Staff reviewed CCTV footage which showed Giles, who had worked at the store for nearly three years, moving the stock out of the stockroom in a suspicious manner.

PC World management staff told gardaí­ that Giles stole 21 laptops, six Apple watches and seven iPad pros from the shop. When arrested, Giles made immediate admissions, but maintained he stole 13 laptops, three watches and seven iPads.

Ultimately, the exact quantity of stolen goods could not be determined, Mr Kelly said. However, the value of the goods Giles said he stole came to €27,000.

The court heard Giles sold all of the products, bar one Macbook, to a man who worked in an electronics store in the city. Giles was given €2,000 for the initial handover and was promised a further €10,000 once the stolen goods were sold. He kept one of the Macbooks for himself.

Giles was unable to name the man he sold the items to, but from information he gave gardaí­, that man was later identified as Muhammed Amjad (31) of Merchants Square, East Wall, Dublin. Amjad was given a suspended 18 month sentence for his role in handling stolen goods last February.

When asked why he stole the goods, Giles said he was “stupidly trying to make money”. He said he did not have a gambling or drug problem. He has no previous convictions.

Defence barrister, Karl Monahan BL, said Giles previously worked for two charity organisations. He was sacked from PC World in the wake of the offence. He said Giles, who is in a long term relationship, deeply regretted his actions.