Four men given suspended sentences for theft of diesel in Louth

Four men who were involved in obtaining over €25,500 worth of diesel using a Certa fuel card reported lost by a haulage company, have been given suspended sentences at Dundalk Circuit Court.

The co-owner of the firm contacted gardaí in September 2023 after discovering that unauthorised transactions had been made using the card.

The fuel card was used 64 times at Ballymascanlon Service Station, between August 23rd and September 17th 2023 where empty drums were filled with diesel and the total amount of fuel taken amounted to €25,691.75. 

Four men admitted a number of sample counts of the theft of diesel and dishonestly by deception inducing a named individual to accept payment with the Certa fuel card, with the intention of making a gain.

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Three of them were neighbours from Doolargy Avenue, Dundalk – Aaron Smith (29) was present for 59 of the transactions involving almost €24,000, Ciaran Boland (33)  was there for 50 of them, involving almost €22,000, Eugene Hoare (61) was present for 28 transactions involving a loss of over €15,000, and his daughter’s partner 31-year-old Adam Cooper, who is from Limerick, was there for six transactions amounting to almost €2,500 worth of diesel. 

The court heard that others were directing them and they did not benefit financially.

All of the defendants had made restitution, apart from Adam Cooper, who the court was told did not have the financial means to.

In finalising the matter, Judge Dara Hayes noted the four had not come to further adverse garda attention, sentenced Aaron Smith to 21 months, Ciaran Boland to 22 months, Eugene Hoare to 17 months and Adam Cooper to 16 months, but he suspended each sentence in full on the defendants each entering good behaviour bonds.