This article is from page 21 of the 2011-10-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
A MAN WHO obtained building supplies worth more than € 2,000 in the name of another did so to pay off a drug debt, a court has heard.
Detective Garda Jarlath Fahy told the court that he arrested Thomas Ryan (28), of Knockgreana, Old Pallas, Limerick.
He said that the accused obtained goods from Shannonside Building Supplies on the Clon Road in Ennis on the account of a man he knew was building a house. The offence was committed in July 2009.
“He obtained them for himself and pretended they were for the other man. An invoice was sent out to the other man. He knew nothing about it,” said the garda.
He said that while € 695 in compensation was paid, more than € 1,700 was outstanding.
The court was told the accused had several previous convictions.
Defence solicitor John Casey said that his client had a previous conviction for a drugs offence, having been a “small cog in this wheel”.
“This was a pathetic attempt by him to get money and pay off what he owed for drugs. These were serious people,” he said.
“He was in serious debt to serious people and had to come up with money.
“He put nearly € 700 together which he paid over,” said Mr Casey.
The court heard the accused is currently serving an eight-year sentence in prison.
“He will be 31 before he gets out. He has a young family. He is serving a very serious sentence, one of the longest sentences you can get,” said Mr Casey.
He asked that any new sentence run concurrently with the sentence his client is currently serving.
Judge Joseph Mangan imposed an eight-month jail sentence, to run consecutively with the sentence currently being served. He suspended four months of this, on condition that compensation be paid.
He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.