Stolen caravan ‘bought’ for €50 recorded on Offaly filling station CCTV

JUDGE Andrew Cody told Tullamore District Court it did not “add up” that a man would have bought a caravan for €50.

The claim was made by Patrick O'Brien (45), Kearney Drive, Tullamore, in his instructions to his solicitor Aisling Maloney in relation to a guilty plea to a charge of handling a stolen caravan.

Mr O'Brien admitted possessing a stolen Thompson two-berth caravan at Doolan's filling station, Kilcormac on May 17, 2026 last, knowing it to be stolen.

Sergeant Brendan Kearns said the injured party in the case, who resided in the caravan with his partner, parked it on the roadside at 12 noon that Sunday.

They left and when they came back it was gone. CCTV from the filling station showed it being towed by a silver Toyota Verso which was registered to the defendant.

The caravan was recovered the next day in a laneway close to his residence, Judge Cody was told.

Sergeant Kearns said Mr O'Brien had 55 previous convictions. Two of them were for theft, another was for affray and there were 18 for breaches of the public order act.

Ms Maloney said her client identified himself on the CCTV footage. He had purchased the caravan from two men for a very low price and did not know at the time that it was stolen.

The solicitor said there was no loss to the injured party apart from inconvenience for one night.

A married man with 10 children, Mr O'Brien had his own caravan.

Garda Vincent Hogan told the court Mr O'Brien had said the price of the caravan was €50 but there was no evidence of the existence of the two men.

Judge Cody said what the court had been told did not make sense. “It doesn't add up to me,” he remarked.

He noted the previous convictions and sentenced Mr O'Brien to five months in prison.

Legal aid was granted and recognisances were fixed for an appeal and an appeal was subsequently lodged.

(Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme)