Man stole alcohol from shops in Laois and broke friend’s windows

A man admitted breaking the windows of a house and stealing alcohol from shops in Portlaoise. 

Conor Maher, 20, of 6 Lake Edge, Kilminchy, Portlaoise admitted stealing two bottles of Jameson valued at €91 from Dunnes Stores on the Mountmellick Road in Portlaoise on January 25, 2024, a bottle of Morgans rum worth €23 from Lidl Portlaoise on January 22, 2024 and two boxes of Linden Village cider valued at €18 from Dunnes Stores on the Mountmellick Road on February 16, 2024. He also admitted breaking a kitchen and an upstairs bedroom window of a house in Carmody Way, Portlaoise on January 16, 2024. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant had seven previous convictions. 

Solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said his client, who was in court accompanied by his mother, suffers from Aspergers oppositional defiant disorder. He said the man’s mother was trying her best but “unfortunately he has descended into addiction” and had at one point been using heroin but was now taking methadone. 

Mr Fitzgerald explained that the man was now on methadone but was drinking to a chronic level. 

“His mother, she says he is drinking every day,” said Mr Fitzgerald. 

“If that is not dealt with there is going to be further offending,” he said. 

Mr Fitzgerald handed in a letter that the man’s mother had written for the court.

Judge Nicola Andrews said the man was to be commended for getting off heroin and she asked if the man was a candidate for the probation services. She was told he would be. 

Sgt Kirby said the defendant had gone into a friend’s back garden and broken windows on January 29, 2024. 

Judge Nicola Andrews said she wished to offer the court’s assistance and she told the defendant, “one person has let you down in all this” but he should be grateful to his mother. She referred the defendant to the probation services and adjourned the case until June 10.