Man amassed theft convictions after suffering stroke

A plasterer’s theft convictions loosely coincide with a stroke he suffered back in 2016, a sitting of Portlaoise District Court was told. 

Mark Butler 48, of The Grove, Shannonvale,  Limerick admitted stealing from Tesco in Portlaoise on June 27, 2020. 

Sgt JJ Kirby said the man walked into the store at 1.30pm, selected six bottles of spirits with a total value of €314.97 and left without paying. He was followed by security and arrested and all the goods were recovered in a saleable condition, said Sgt Kirby. He said the defendant has 118 previous convictions. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client is a plasterer by trade. She said his convictions for theft began in 2016 subsequent to a stroke he suffered. She said a medical professional had indicated that her client “suffers with impulse control behaviour” as a result of the stroke. “He doesn’t have a recollection of the event happening,” she said. “His theft career would have begun subsequent to the stroke,” she added. 

Judge Patricia Cronin agreed that the thefts appeared to coincide with his stroke. She imposed a four month sentence and ordered it to run concurrent with a sentence he is currently serving.