Nenagh man who stole wallet from shop counter said he had 'mistaken it for his own'

Nenagh Court was told that aTipperary motorist who turned back at a Garda checkpoint had no insurance

placeholder image — Nenagh Court was told that aTipperary motorist who turned back at a Garda checkpoint had no insurance

A man who claimed he mistakenly took a wallet containing cash and cards from the counter of a Nenagh service station has been convicted of theft by Nenagh District Court

Hussein Metawee of 4 Thomond Place, Nenagh, pleaded not guilty to theft of €380 at Cleary’s Daybreak service station, Limerick Road, Nenagh, on February 15, 2022.

Dara McGrath told the court that he had been working that day and on his way home he had gone to the service station to buy items.

He placed his wallet on the counter when paying but discovered he had enough in cash to pay for the items.

He then left the shop and collected a takeaway in the Chinese restaurant next door which had been already paid for in advance.

The following morning he received a phone call asking if he had lost anything and that his wallet had been found inside a post box at the post office in Nenagh.

Everything was in the wallet with the exception of cash to the value of around €400, he said.

Mr McGrath explained that he knew roughly how much was in the wallet as he had issued invoices for work carried out and this had been paid in cash. He also had cash of his own in the wallet.

The court heard that Mr Metawee was later identified removing the wallet through CCTV recovered from the shop.

Det Garda Stuart Beattie told the court he interviewed Mr Metawee and during that interview Mr Metawee claimed he had taken the wallet by mistake as it looked similar to his own.

Mr Metawee told Garda Beattie he was in Ireland for 20 years and Nenagh for 13 years and had never taken anyone’s property before.

Mr Metawee said that when he discovered he had the wrong wallet he walked to the post office and put it in the post box. He denied taking the cash.

In his direct evidence, Mr Metawee said that he did not have his glasses on at the time and thought it was his wallet.

“I haven’t stolen anything in my life,” he said. “I know there are CCTV cameras there.”

Mr Metawee said that he never opened the wallet when he realised it was not his.

“I didn’t know what to do with it. I went for a walk thinking what to do. I came across the post box. I was tired and not focused and my mind was racing. I can’t explain why I didn’t go to the Garda station,” he said.

Mr Metawee said that taking the wallet had been a “mistake”, but he would accept whatever the court decided.

“I am a religious man. I have been to Mecca,” he told the court.

Convicting, Judge Elizabeth MacGrath said that the wallets, which were produced in court, were “clearly different” and not wallets one would confuse.

“What doesn’t make sense was to dump it in the post office,” she said.

Judge MacGrath ordered Mr Metawee to have a total of €500 in court on Janaury 26, 2023.