Man who stole bottle of rum from supermarket convicted of theft and fined €300

A young Buncrana man who stole a bottle of alcohol from a local supermarket has been convicted of theft and fined €300.

Mateusz Nagly, of 3 Cornmill Avenue, Buncrana, pleaded guilty to the offence contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 when he appeared before Buncrana District Court.

The court heard how the 23-year-old part-time labourer is of Polish origin but has lived here all his life.

The defendant was put on his election in court, and opted to have his case heard at the District Court, rather than the Circuit Court, where the penalties are more severe.

Sergeant Conor Mulkerns outlined the evidence, including how the offence came to light on Sunday, July 28, 2024 at Kavanagh’s Supervalu, Cockhill Road, Buncrana.

At 9.17pm that night, a male was seen concealing a bottle of Kracken Spiced Rum on his person, before leaving the supermarket without paying for it.

Following an investigation, Mr Nagly was identified as the culprit on CCTV footage. He was subsequently cautioned over the offence, before making certain admissions.

The court heard how the stolen bottle of spirits had a value of €32, and was not later recovered.

Sgt Mulkerns said the defendant has four previous convictions, all of them for possession of cannabis.

Defending the case, solicitor Patsy Gallagher pointed out how his client has no previous for theft, and is now attempting to overcome some challenges in his life.

“He’s a young man who has come from a background of some difficulties in his home life, and he has received some treatment for those difficulties himself.”

“He had an issue back in his teenage years regarding recreational drugs, but that has been dealt with now. He fully accepts he has a little issue with alcohol, which is also being addressed.”

Mr Gallagher continued: “He has completed his Leaving Cert and a diploma course, and he is working seasonally. He does some labouring work, but he has not been working for the past number of months due to the weather.”

“He picks up the odd day of work here and there as a groundskeeper, and typically earns around €200 per week part-time.”

Given the circumstances and the guilty plea, Mr Gallagher urged Judge Emile Daly to be “as lenient as possible”.

Judge Daly convicted Mr Nagly of the theft and imposed a fine of €300, with a deadline of four months to pay. Mr Gallagher was assigned Legal Aid in the matter.