Stole tools from Laois Lidl

A man appeared before Portlaoise District Court for stealing hand tools from Lidl. 

Michal Bagar, 33, with an address at 27 Buttercup Avenue, Esker Hills, Portlaoise admitted stealing the items from Lidl in Portlaoise on March 15 last. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the accused was identified from CCTV footage and the tools, valued at €31.97, were not recovered.

He said the defendant has three previous convictions which are all from the same date when he got a one month suspended sentence last January. 

Solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said his client, who was from the Czech Republic, had no history of offending before six months ago. 

“He developed a heroin addiction in the last nine months,” explained Mr Fitzgerald. He said the man has  “gone cold turkey” since. 

“He has got his house in order in terms of heroin,” he told the sitting of Portlaoise District Court. 

Mr Fitzgerald said his client was pleading guilty and had cooperated with gardai once identified.  

Judge Andrew Cody convicted the man and gave him a one year sentence which he suspended for two years. He referred the one month suspended sentence from January back to Portlaoise District Court on July 6. 

“A suspended sentence is not a slap on the wrist,” Judge Cody warned the man.