Man on theft charge 'couldn't afford new shoes', court hears

A man who was caught stealing shoes from a shop in Letterkenny claimed that he was unable to afford a new pair.

On March 22, 2022, Gardaí received a report that a male entered TK Maxx at Letterkenny Retail Park and took a pair of shoes.

CCTV footage showed Remus Cirpaci entering the store wearing a pair of grey shoes. Cirpaci was seen standing behind a shoe rack and leafing while earring a pair of navy shoes.

Cirpaci, a 35-year-old with an address at Ballymacool Wood, Letterkenny appeared before Letterkenny District Court charged with stealing a pair of Tommy Hilfiger shoes valued at €34.99.

The shoes were not returned the court heard.

Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that Cirpaci has one previous conviction for theft.

Solicitor for Cirpaci, Mr Ciaran Haran, said his client was a ‘man of limited English and limited education’.

“He doesn’t work and he hasn’t worked since he arrived in the country in 1997,” Mr Haran said. “His intellectual ability restricted him in working. He offers little by the way of explanation for this and he says that he couldn’t afford new shoes and he needed new shoes.”

Mr Haran said Cirpaci admitted the offence immediate and was ‘remorseful’.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham directed that the value of the shoes be paid back to TK Maxx. Judge Cunningham convicted Cirpaci and fined him €100, allowing six months to pay.

“I can’t continue to allow that,” Judge Cunningham said. “You can’t go into a shop and just take products and think there are no consequences.”