A man who stole Georgian doors and a fireplace from an unoccupied house has had the balance of his six-year sentence suspended by Judge Kieran O'Connor at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Joseph Shannon told gardai he got £5 for some of the doors and £120 for the cast-iron fireplace. None of the property valued at £3,200 was recovered.
People in neighbouring houses in Percy Place became suspicious when they saw Shannon and two other men moving the property into a van. They took the registration number and contacted the house owner.
Shannon (47), of Pearse House, Dublin, pleaded guilty last April to taking the property on February 22nd, 1996. He had 16 previous larceny and burglary convictions.
Judge O'Connor imposed the six-year sentence but said Shannon could apply to have his sentence reviewed this month. If he had behaved well in prison and accepted treatment for his drink problem the court would consider suspending the balance of the sentence.
He directed that Shannon perform 150 hours' community service and enter into a bond to keep the peace or he would be returned to prison to finish his sentence.
Garda Raymond McDonnell told Mr Hugo Hynes, prosecuting, that when arrested Shannon made a statement of admission in which he revealed using a "jemmy" to break into the unoccupied house at 8.30 a.m. that day. He "jemmied" out the fireplace and removed five Georgian doors from their hinges.
Shannon then returned to Pearse House, borrowed the van from a friend on the pretext of having "to do a message", and went back to Percy Place with two friends.
Mr Luige Rea, defending, said his client had a serious alcohol problem.