£2,000 painting sold for £20

A painting worth almost £2,000 was stolen and sold on the streets of Dublin for £20

A painting worth almost £2,000 was stolen and sold on the streets of Dublin for £20. Jason Leonard (20), of Allerton Drive, Tallaght pleaded guilty to handling the stolen painting at Dean Street on March 10th. He told Kilmainham District Court that he knew it was stolen when he bought it for £20. He was caught when he tried to sell it to an antique shop in Francis Street. Garda William Holland said the portrait of Catherine McAuley, which belonged to the Sisters of Charity in Templemore, was worth £1,900.

It had been stolen from an art dealer's car the day before. Judge Catherine Murphy heard that Leonard had been on drugs for four years. She remanded him in custody to May 6th.