Carlow man went on series of vehicle break-ins and thefts in town
Pic: Michael O'Rourke.
A CARLOW man who carried out a series of vehicle break-ins and thefts across Carlow town over a number of weeks has been sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison after appearing before Carlow District Court recently. Paul Lyons (33) Bridewell Lane, Carlow, who appeared before Judge Geraldine Carthy via video link from Wheatfield Prison, pleaded guilty to all matters before the court.
The offending spanned several incidents between February and March.
The court previously heard that on 16 February, Mr Lyons entered a vehicle on Lewis Street, Green Road, Carlow and took rosary beads. He was identified by CCTV footage. The following day, 17 February, he entered a vehicle parked at The Orchards, Tullow Road, Carlow and removed a school bag before dumping it further down the street. He later made admissions in relation to that incident.
The more serious offending occurred in late March. The court heard that on 24 March, a vehicle parked at Hadden’s car park was broken into and a MacBook Pro, valued at €600, was taken from the back seat. CCTV footage had identified Mr Lyons as attempting to gain access to vehicles at that location.
The court also heard that on 23 March, a car on St Fiacc’s Terrace, Graiguecullen was ransacked overnight and scratch cards worth around €15 were taken.
Further incidents occurred on 29 March. Gardaí were called to John Street at around midday after a male was observed interfering with vehicles in the area. The court heard that a Samsung phone, valued at approximately €200, and a charger, were among items recovered in connection with the day’s events, along with Dunnes Stores vouchers worth around €50.
A separate incident on Castle Street involved a vehicle that had been left unlocked, from which cash and lottery tickets were taken. The court heard that an attempt was subsequently made to cash the lottery tickets at a local outlet, but that the individual involved was identified by CCTV.
The court heard that Mr Lyons has 17 previous convictions, 11 of which relate to theft and fraud matters. His most recent conviction was on 10 July 2024, when he received an eight-month prison sentence for a section 4 theft.
Defence solicitor Joe Farrell addressed the court on his client’s behalf, outlining the personal challenges faced by Mr Lyons and asked the court to take them into account. At a previous court sitting, Judge Carthy acknowledged that Mr Lyons faced difficulties, but said the court was familiar with him and its patience was wearing thin.
She noted the offending had taken place very close to where he had been residing, describing it as poorly thought-out, and said it had caused damage and inconvenience to a number of people. She also acknowledged the garda resources involved in the investigation, while giving Mr Lyons credit for all of his guilty pleas.
Judge Carthy sentenced Mr Lyons to four months’ imprisonment in respect of the section 17 theft charge, backdated to 1 April. Seven-month terms were imposed consecutively for the section 4 theft of the MacBook Pro on 24 March and for the theft of the Samsung phone and charger on 29 March, bringing the total sentence to 18 months. The remaining matters were taken into consideration.
