This article is from page 16 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
A FATHER stole DVDs to sell them so he would have money to treat his teenage daughter during an access visit, a judge was told.
Michael Chapman (37) of 29 Clancy Park, Ennis, pleaded guilty to a number of thefts, including stealing ten DVDs worth €79.90 from Xtra Vision in Ennis.
He also pleaded guilty to taking a digital camera worth €162 from K and K computers, a mobile phone from another premises and a Nike jacket, and three bottles of perfume worth €148.50 from Cassidy’s phar- TaT-Teaye
His solicitor Tara Godfrey told the court that Chapman has two children and considers himself the father of his partner’s three children.
“He has a teenage daughter who does not live with him or her mother but he plays a supportive role in her life. It is poignant that he tells me, he stole the DVDs with the intention of
selling them so he could have a good access visit with that daughter,’ Ms Godfrey said.
She added that Chapman has a drink problem and the crimes are “drink related”.
‘He has previous convictions – the last one was in 2005. That he has not offended since then is quite remark- able for him.”
He sentenced Chapman to four
months for the theft of the camera and four months for the theft of the perfume, to run concurrently. Other charges, including the DVD thefts, were taken into consideration.
The judge set bail for an appeal at Chapman’s own bond of €500 with an independent surety of €1,000.