Stole alcohol from Lidl in Portarlington

A man appeared in court accused of stealing alcohol from Lidl in Portarlington. 

Johnny Stokes (30) of 1 Mornington Avenue, Trim, Co Meath, appeared before Portlaoise District Court via video link. He is accused of stealing from Lidl in Portarlington on June 3, 2024. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant stole alcohol valued at €120 from Lidl at 5.30pm on the date in question. He said the man had 15 previous convictions and the alcohol wasn’t recovered. He told the court that the defendant was serving a sentence and was due for release on December 24 this year. 

Kenneth Kerins BL said his client was entering a guilty plea. “He is a young man with a bright future ahead of him if he can deal with the underlying cause,” he said. 

He said the time he is already serving will give him an opportunity to deal with his issues. Mr Kerins said it was a “minor enough offence” and he asked the judge not to add to his sentence. 

Judge Catherine Ryan said the defendant had saved the court some time through his guilty plea. She convicted him and sentenced him to one month which she said would run concurrent to the sentence the man is serving.