A MAN described as the most prolific burglar in Galway city and a “career burglar” was given a choice yesterday to either undergo a stringent drug treatment programme or serve a four-year jail term.
Jonathan Harlowe, originally from Riverside, in Galway, and who now resides at Glendara, Rahoon, pleaded guilty at Galway Circuit Criminal Court to two burglaries in the city during which laptops, cash and other items were stolen while the house occupants were asleep.
Harlowe, currently serving sentences imposed in the district court last year for a spate of other burglaries, pleaded guilty to burglary at a house on Rahoon Road, Shantalla, on December 13th, 2007, while the facts relating to a second burglary at his neighbour’s house in Glendara, Rahoon, on December 7th were admitted.
Describing Harlowe as “the most prolific burglar in Galway city”, Garda Noel Sweeney warned the court the accused would go straight out and commit even more burglaries if he was let out of prison.
“Judge, he is one of the most prolific burglars in Galway. He was on bail in December 2007 and, while on bail, he was arrested for other offences. It’s my opinion that if he’s released from prison he will be in the high-risk category of reoffending,” Garda Sweeney told Judge Raymond Groarke.
The court heard Harlowe had four previous convictions for burglaries, several for thefts and one for robbery and assault. He is serving sentences imposed last year and is due for release in August.
Conor Fahy, prosecuting, described Harlowe as a “career burglar”.
Mrs Patricia Harlowe said he was the youngest of her seven children and she had lost him to drugs since 2002. She said she did not want him in Galway as he would fall into his old ways and she asked the court to help her son get treatment.
Harlowe told the judge he had spent most of the last seven years of his life in and out of prison and he wanted to undergo drug treatment now and turn his life around.
John O’Donnell, defending, said Harlowe had committed the burglaries to feed his heroin habit.
Hearing submissions regarding proposed drug treatments Harlowe wants to undergo, the judge remanded him in custody to July 28th for a probation report outlining his assessment and acceptance on to the Coolmine Treatment Centre drug programme.
Judge Groarke warned Harlowe that if he was not successful in getting on to the Coolmine programme, he had a prison term of four years in mind for him.
He said the court had to give the accused a chance to rehabilitate himself as that was in the interests of society, but he said that if he failed to rehabilitate and get on the course he would go to prison for the four years.