'Aggressive Begging' and thefts land man in prison
Carlow Courthouse
A MAN who stole milk, chocolate and other items from shops in Carlow town and engaged in what gardaí described as aggressive begging was sentenced at Carlow District Court to six months in prison.
Lee Keating, St Killian’s Crescent, Tullow Rd, Carlow faced five charges – three for theft and two for begging – relating to incidents that occurred between December 2024 and July 2025.
Carlow District Court heard that on 18 December 2024, at Hickson’s Centra on Potato Market in Carlow town, the 45-year old was identified on CCTV footage by Garda Conway as the in dividual who took €8 worth of items from the shop without paying.
On 27 February 2025, Garda Willoughby responded to a phone call from the Daybreak store on Athy Road, Carlow with a report of theft. Two bars of chocolate worth €4 were taken without payment.
Garda Willoughby reviewed CCTV footage and identified Mr Keating as the individual in question.
Following this, Garda Rafter arrested and charged the defendant.
On 29 April 2025, €20 worth of milk was stolen from outside Lambert’s Coffee Shop on Carlow’s Dublin Street before the premises had opened for business. Garda Murphy reviewed CCTV footage and Mr Keating was identified as having stolen the milk. No items were recovered.
On 5 July 2025, Garda Corcoran responded to numerous reports from business owners and members of the public of “aggressive begging”, where the defendant was “harassing members of the public” outside Fairgreen Shopping Centre, “knocking on car windows” and “asking for charitable donations”.
Three days later, on 8 July 2025, gardaí received multiple reports of two males “aggressively begging” on Tullow Street, Carlow and approaching people in a nearby carpark.
Garda Milward spoke to the accused and arrested him for begging, a public order offence.
The court was told that Mr Keating has 73 previous convictions, 15 of which are related to theft.
His most recent conviction was for public order offences arising from an incident that occurred on 15 March 2025. He received a two-month custodial sentence for a section 6 offence: threatening or abusive language or behaviour in public.
Solicitor Joe Farrell handed in a letter to the court from the defendant’s GP in relation to his addiction issues. Mr Farrell asked the court to “give credit for the way he’s handled matters since (these incidents)”.
He added: “He wouldn’t agree with the begging being ‘aggressive’.” Also in mitigation, Mr Farrell asked the court to consider the low value of the thefts, adding: “It’s still not a good thing to do, it’s not logical at all, but he didn’t take €100 worth.”
Judge Geraldine Carthy took Mr Keating’s plea into account and his “very difficult addiction”, but noted the aggravating matter of 73 previous convictions.
She convicted him and sentenced him to six months in prison for one of the theft offences – taking the milk from outside Lambert’s – and took the rest into consideration.
