Jewellery thief given 48 hours to leave State or face jail

A cafe owner who stole almost €20,000 worth of jewellery during a distraction theft from a Dublin antiques shop has been given 48 hours to leave the country or face jail.

Jan Grabowski (56), from Poland, pleaded guilty to stealing one set of diamond and pearl earrings and a brooch from Courtville Antiques in the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre.

Det Garda Des Rogers told Judge Michael Walsh at Dublin District Court that Grabowski went into the shop and said he wanted to buy something.

When the shop assistant displayed some items to him, Grabowski distracted her and took the brooch and earrings. He was later arrested on Grafton Street after gardaí viewed CCTV footage. Mr Rogers said that while Grabowski did not have the stolen jewellery on him when he was stopped, he was co-operative and assisted gardaí in retrieving the items. The stolen goods were still in a saleable condition.

Well-planned

The judge said the incident had all the hallmarks of being well-thought out and well-planned. He said he had no doubt Grabowski, “entered [the] shop with sole intention of stealing items from the shop”.

The judge said that gardaí must be complimented for their excellent attention to the case and for bringing prosecution without delay.

The judge imposed a €500 fine and a six-month sentence which he said will be suspended if Grabowski leaves Ireland within two days.

Defence solicitor Phillip Hannon asked the court to note that Grabowski suffered from depression and there had been several bereavements in his family.

Mr Hannon said the 56-year-old father worked in the building trade for most of his life but then tried to establish a cafe, which had folded six months ago.

The defence solicitor said that Grabowski had to repay money he borrowed to set up the cafe but had not been able to find any suitable employment. He had come to Dublin as his son was living here.

Remorseful

Mr Hannon said Grabowski thought the offence “would be the answer to his problems”, and that he is remorseful and plans to return to Poland.

The judge noted that Grabowski had pleaded guilty, which had saved time and costs, and he gave him credit for his admission and co-operation.