Hitcher stole purse from ‘Samaritan’

A MAN who stole a purse from ‘a good Samaritan’ avoided jail after Judge James McNulty suspended a 10-month sentence.

During the case, the judge was that while a nine-month suspended sentence against the accused had been activated at a previous court, he was released from jail after serving just two days.

Court presenter Sgt Trish O’Sullivan outlined at Bantry District Court how a female motorist stopped to pick up Dusan Kotlar (27) of 1, The Forge, Breenybeg, Kealkil.

The sergeant said he had been hitching a lift to Lidl. She said he sat in the back of the car and was brought directly to the store at about 4pm on May 8th.

It was only when the woman arrived home she realised that her purse, valued at €100, was missing, said the sergeant.

The woman returned to the store and approached the accused.‘He admitted taking the purse and gave it back to her,’ said Sgt O’Sulllivan, who confirmed nothing had been removed from the purse.

The woman then reported the matter to the gardaí.

Sgt O’Sullivan informed the court that the accused, originally from the Czech Republic, but has been living in Ireland since he was three, has 25 previous convictions, five of which are for theft.

The court was also told that a nine-month suspended sentence against him had been activated at a previous court but he was released from jail after serving just two days.

Colette McCarthy, solicitor, said her client was not on bail at the time of this offence, and that it was ‘an offence of opportunity’. Judge McNulty said this was like ‘robbing the good Samaritan – he sits into the back of her car and dips into her handbag’.

The judge read a letter written by the accused in which the dad-of-two said he is trying his hardest to keep out of trouble.

‘Please, I need to be with my family ... give me a chance.’

The accused wept when he heard the judge say ‘10 months’ but was relieved to hear the sentence suspended on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for the next two years.

‘I will give you the chance to become a law-abiding citizen and suspend the sentence but no tears, no children in need, will convince me if you reoffend,’ warned the judge.