Stolen manuscripts and first-edition books belonging to Nobel prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney later appeared for sale in a magazine, the Magistrates' Court in Magherafelt, Co Derry, heard yesterday.
Before the court was Joseph Patrick Kelly (35), unemployed, of Highfield Road, Magherafelt, who admitted stealing the rare literary documents, valued at around £8,000.
The Magistrate, Mr Eamon King, told Kelly that the one redeeming factor in the case was that all the documents had been recovered and returned intact to Belaghy Bawn, from where they had been stolen.
He ordered Kelly to carry out 60 hours of community service and directed him to work with the Probation Service over the next year.