This article is from page 14 of the 2012-07-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
A MAN described as a “good skin when he’s not fuelled up on drugs” has been sentenced to five months in prison for the theft of power tools from a garage in Kilrush earlier this year.
At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Jonathan Kenny (23), with an address at 1 Elm Drive Kilrush, pleaded guilty to theft of the items from a shed alongside a family home at Cappa Road, Kilrush on April 4.
Detective Garda Donal Corkery of Kilrush Garda Station told the court that Mr Kenny was spotted entering woods in Kilrush with items taken from the shed.
All of the property was recovered and Mr Kenny made a full admission to gardaí. The court heard that the garage was unlocked at the time.
Detective Corkery said that Mr Kenny has a total of 41 previous convictions. Solicitor Michael Ryan said the offence had been carried out in a “haphazard and disorganised” manner. He said that all of the items had been recovered. Mr Ryan said the murder of his client’s older brother in Kilrush in 2009 had a major effect on him. He said that Mr Kenny has a “very serious drug habit.”
He added, “When Jonathan Kenny is not fuelled up on drugs he is a relatively good skin, and I think the gardaí would agree on that point.”
He told the court that his client’s personal circumstances had been made more difficult by the availability of drugs in Kilrush. Mr Ryan said that despite the best efforts of gardaí in the West Clare town, “there is a willing availability of drugs”, a point acknowledged in court by Detective Corkery.
Mr Ryan added, “Given the circumstances, I do think the deck was stacked against him.”
He said there are situations in Kilrush where dealers are coming to people’s doors to push drugs on them.
“And then you get into trouble when you don’t have the money to pay for them”, he added. He urged the Court in passing sentence, to consider offering Mr Kenny “some light at the end of the tunnel.”
Judge Patrick Durcan said that he did not view life in terms of tunnels. “I see life in terms of day and night and in terms of good and evil”, he said. Judge Durcan said people are entitled to live their lives in peace and tranquility and to leave their tool sheds unlocked.
Referring to Mr Kenny’s offence, Judge Durcan said, “He was very anxious to get the goods that he had had stolen and he was eager to get them out of the way.”
He imposed a five-month prison sentence. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.
Judge Durcan added, “I want the message to go out, not to the good skins of Kilrush, but to the bad skins that they will be met by this court with the harshest of penalties.”