A MAN who stole alcohol and verbally abused a shop assistant was sent to prison after a suspended sentence was activated.

Marius Kanauskas (49), of Upper Bridge Street, Skibbereen, pleaded guilty to theft, public order offences and criminal damage.

On May 10th, he entered a shop on Bridge Street and was very aggressive with a 16-year-old member of staff, the court heard.

The owner reported the incident to gardaí who identified him on CCTV footage. 

On May 13th, Mr Kanauskas took two bottles of wine costing €16.98 from Aldi in Skibbereen and left without paying.

He returned to Aldi on May 14th and took cans of sardines and alcohol costing €23.95 and left without paying.

The goods taken from Aldi were not recovered and compensation has not been paid, the court heard.

On May 15th, the accused entered Londis on Bridge Street and was verbally abusive to staff who informed him he had been barred from the shop.

He then picked up three bottles of beer and left €10.

Staff told him they would not accept the payment.

‘I’m very lost, I’m very addicted,’ Mr Kanauskas told the court.

He has 19 previous convictions for theft, possession of knives, public order, drink driving and criminal damage offences.

Defence solicitor Colette McCarthy said her client was addicted to alcohol, was currently in custody for separate offences and his earliest release date would be July 23rd. 

Judge Joanne Carroll imposed a five-month sentence with the last two months suspended for 12 months.

The judge placed Mr Karanauskas under supervision of the Probation Service on his release and ordered him to attend alcohol addiction treatment.

She struck out the theft charge relating to the incident on May 15th while the public order offences were taken into consideration.

The judge also activated the suspended sentence given for a previous offence, saying three of the four months would be activated.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.