Former apprentice butcher stole €49,000 in takings on Christmas Eve

A former apprentice butcher pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €49,204 from McArdle Meats in Charlestown Shopping Centre, Finglas, on 24 December 2013. James Cahill (22), of Ferrycarrig Park, Coolock, took advantage of his knowledge of the shop's safe codes to remove two days of takings in the early hours of Christmas Eve. He had no previous convictions. Gardaí recovered €17,000 in a bag handed over by Cahill and a further €5,000 hidden in a laneway. The court heard Cahill was struggling with cocaine addiction at the time and had been absent from work due to his condition. The business ultimately suffered a loss of €17,000 after receiving €10,000 in insurance compensation. Judge Desmond Hogan described the offence as falling at the higher end of the middle range of seriousness but acknowledged Cahill's drug-induced state, early guilty plea, remorse and rehabilitation progress. Sentencing was adjourned until March 2015 to assess suitability for community service, though a custodial sentence has not been ruled out.