A Limerick caught stealing €348 worth of meat from Aldi pleaded guilty to theft at Galway District Court this week.
Peter Malone (44), of Singland Crescent, Garryowen, Limerick appeared the District Court this week charged with theft from Aldi at Galway Retail Park.
The court heard that on February 6 of this year Gardaà got a call at roughly 1:30pm about a man who being held at Aldi after being caught trying to steal €138 worth of meat.
When gardaà questioned Mr Malone at the scene he admitted to having stolen another €205 of meat just minutes beforehand.
All of the product was successfully recovered the prosecuting sergeant told the District Court.
“That’s some haul of meat of meat,” Judge Mary Fahy remarked at the amount stolen, “don’t you know that everyone’s going vegan Mr Malone”.
When first asked by Judge Fahy what he stole the meat for, Mr Malone responded that he didn’t know.
Solicitor for the defence Brian Gilmartin said that Malone is now a recovering drug addict, prompting Juge Fahy to ask Malone if he intended to sell the meat to feed his habit, which Malone said he did.
Mr Malone, who has no connection to Galway, is currently serving a three month sentence for theft from Tipperary, prompting the Judge to say that his current recovery was one that has been imposed on him.
For a single count of theft Judge Fahy imposed a five month prison sentence, to begin after the completion of his current sentence, and suspended it in its entirety for two years.
During that two year period Mr Malone is to stay away from Galway city and county in their entirety.
