A Dublin shoplifter who stole to order for "clients" and was paid on a commission basis was sentenced to a total of 16 months in prison, after he was caught red-handed by gardaí on one of his shoplifting sprees in Galway city.
Gary Byrne, of Kilbarron Road, Kilmore, Coolock, Dublin, des- cribed himself as a professional shoplifter at Galway District Court yesterday where he appeared on eight charges, involving shops in Galway city, over a two-year period.
When arrested, Byrne told gardaí he stole to order for clients and was paid one-third of the retail value of the items he stole.
He said he had spent 15 of the last 20 years in and out of prison for similar offences. Byrne has stolen a leather jacket, worth £350, a porcelain clock, worth £480, 24 gold bracelets, worth €2,080, a John Rocha clock, worth €160, five bottles of perfume, worth £200 and ironically, a deadlock, worth €32, because he said his own lock at home was broken.
Passing sentence, Judge John Garavan said Byrne was a common thief rather than a professional one and he sentenced him to terms of imprisonment on each of the charges amounting in total to 16 months. He fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.