A burglar who fled a garden centre with a trolley full of stolen shrubs and flowers, leaving a trail of compost behind him that led gardaí to his home, has been jailed for six months.
At Ennis District Court on Wednesady, Judge Alec Gabbett imposed a nine-month prison term, while suspending the final three months, on Eamon Quinn (38) for theft of garden products worth €500 from Vaughan’s Garden Centre last February 10th.
Mr Quinn has been in custody since March 17th, so Judge Gabbett backdated the prison sentence to that date.
Solicitor for Mr Quinn, Tara Godfrey, previously described the circumstances around the offence and subsequent arrest as “cartoonish”.
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Sgt Frank O’Grady told the court Mr Quinn took flowers, shrubs and stone ornaments from the centre, leaving behind a trail of compost that led gardai to his home a short distance away at Aughanteeroe, Gort Road.
Mr Quinn pleaded guilty to entering the then-closed garden centre as a trespasser late on the night of February 10th to commit theft.
Ms Godfrey told the court Mr Quinn went to the garden centre and filled up his trolley. He then walked the trolley along the pavement to his home from the garden centre and left behind a trail of compost on the footpath.
She said the gardaí followed the trail of compost and found pots and various gardening items in Quinn’s back garden.
Ms Godfrey said her client apologises for the offence and noted some of the goods were recovered. She said her client does not have a clear memory of the incident, as he was taking prescribed medication at the time.
Ms Godfrey said her client was in a road traffic incident a number of years ago, from which he acquired a brain injury.
He had been a promising chef, and that is something he will go back to time to time, she said.
Mr Quinn’s father was dying in the autumn of last year. At that time, her client had repeated seizures and spent six weeks in hospital “and this was a particularly difficult time for him”.
Ms Godfrey said Mr Quinn found himself homeless and living with his brother in law.
Sgt O’Grady said Mr Quinn has 66 previous convictions, including 15 for theft and five for burglary.
