Nenagh man who spat at garda and stole cash and mobile phone jailed for 10 months

A man who stole a mobile phone from a house in Nenagh and cash from cars parked in a housing estate has been jailed for a total of 10 months by Nenagh District Court.

Sgt Regina McCarthy told the court how a man living in the Coill Fuinseoige estate discovered the front door of his house open at 1.40am on March 25, 2021, and his mobile phone missing from the hall table.

Gardaí then confronted the defendant, Christian O'’Brien, 21, with an address of 115 Carrig Rua, Nenagh, who was cycling a bicycle on a main road.

He was intoxicated and was swerving over and back on the road.

A mobile phone located on his person was found to be the property of the man in the house.

In a separate incident, on March 24, 2021, Mr O’Brien stole a total of approximately €10 in coins from two cars parked outside other houses in the same estate.

On February 23, 2022, he attempted to get into three vehicles in the Nenagh area, stealing a pair of sunglasses from one of the cars.

On the same date he was arrested under the Drugs Act in Mitchel Street, Nenagh, and detained at the local garda station.

He was subsequently released, but was arrested again on the same date at Banba Square and brought back to the station again.

While in custody he was abusive to gardaí in the station and caught one member of the force by the throat and attempted to hit another officer, and spat at another.

On May 4, 2022, he was confronted by gardaí while in an intoxicated state in Carrig Rua.

He was arrested for being drunk in a public place and for engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour.

He had to be pepper-sprayed as gardaí attempted to get him into a patrol car.

He spat at officers during his subsequent detention in the Garda station.

His spitting in the station resulted in a bill of €150 in clean-up costs.

Sgt McCarthy said Mr O’Brien had a total of 69 previous convictions and had a suspended sentence from a separate offence hanging over him.

Defending solicitor Elizabeth McKeever said Mr O’Brien was already in custody since the summer and had celebrated his 21st birthday in prison last month.

He was a young man who was well-known to the court.

He had been put into care as a juvenile and had a difficult upbringing.

After coming out of care he fell between two stools, had been homeless for quite a while, and had addiction issues. He had broken into cars to obtain small amounts of money.

Ms McKeever said Mr O’Brien was a very bright and intelligent young man and he was now studying in prison and hoping to sit his Leaving Certificate, although the subjects offered in custody were limited.

He had pleaded guilty to his offences at the first opportunity but he knew he was facing more time in jail, said Ms McKeever, who asked the judge to be lenient given the young age of her client.

Judge Elizabeth MacGrath said she had no option but to impose a custodial sentence given the number of offences outlined to the court.

She sentenced Mr O’Brien to a total of 10 months, expressing the hope that he would benefit educationally during his time in jail.