This article is from page 11 of the 2006-03-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
A MAN found in possession of a stolen laptop, two brief cases and two driving licences told a court he had found them by accident and intended returning them to gardaí.
Thomas Halpin (36), of no fixed abode, was convicted of five charges of handling stolen property in Ennis in February. He had pleaded not guilty.
Principal of Ennis national school, Gary Stack, said a laptop had been stolen in a breakin to the school. A laptop was presented in court by investigating Garda Val McCormack and Mr Stack identified it as his.
Another witness, Donal Ó Loinsigh, said a briefcase containing GAA notes had been taken from his car, which was parked in the Tesco carpark, on February 9 last.
Gda McCormack told the court he found the items in the accused’s rucksack, on February 12 last.
“It was obvious the items were not belonging to him. They appeared to be stolen property,” said the garda.
Halpin was also convicted of a number of other charges including possession of a sharply pointed knife and criminal damage, on different dates.
Referring to the charges of handling stolen property, he told Ennis District Court, “I was afraid I’d be blamed for stealing them. I had full intentions of bringing them to the gardaí but I didn’t know how to go about it.”
Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a two year jail term, telling the Halpin’s solicitor Tara Godfrey, “He is not leaving me with a great deal of choice.”