A man who lives in a ditch in Tralee, Co Kerry, has thanked a judge for not jailing him.
Jason Crowley (30) pleaded guilty to a number of theft charges from cars in Tralee between November 2013 and April 2014. He had six previous convictions, the court was told.
Mr Crowley had lost one leg in an operation, he was homeless and “going from post to pillar,” his solicitor Pádraig O’Connell said. “He is living in a ditch at the moment. Things are dreadful for this man. He is on methadone. Please be lenient.”
The charges included theft of a book of wildflowers, a sledgehammer and fire extinguishers.
Crowley, whose address on court papers was given as a flat on Rock Street, Tralee was off drugs and almost off alcohol entirely, he said. He had no memory of the car thefts, he told Judge James O’Connor. The judge imposed fines totalling €400.
If he misbehaved over the next 12 months, the judge said he would jail him.
Gathering up his belongings before leaving the court, the man thanked the judge for giving him a chance.
