A man who was caught stealing money from people twice within two days was received a ten month prison sentence at Galway District Court.
Damian Fahy (27), staying at St. Joseph’s Homelessness Aid in Drogheda pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing cash from individuals at a city pub and hostel.
The court heard that on September 14 gardai were called to the Front Door bar on Cross Street shortly after midnight to reports of a man being detained by security.
A woman had €40 stolen from her wallet at the bar and Fahy was seen by security on cctv and detained.
The very next night a night porter at Sleepzone hostel reported €35 stolen from his wallet and Fahy was once again identified as the culprit in cctv footage.
The night porter’s money was recovered was recovered but the woman at Front Door did not get hers back.
Fahy, who has 71 previous convictions, said that he could not remember what had happened to it.
Solicitor Brian Gilmartin said that his client, who is originally from Dublin was in town looking for work at the time.
But Judge Mary Fahy said that the likelihood of this was “as likely as me going to the moon”.
She said that it is a nasty crime to steal money from an individual, and noted that he had only been released from prison shortly before this, having received a one month sentence in August.
For the theft at the Front Door the judge imposed a six month prison sentence, and a consecutive four month sentence was handed down for the incident at Sleepzone.
The four month sentence was suspended in its entirety for two years with condition that he remain away from Galway city during this period.
