Courts / Dublin / Report

Thief caught "red-handed" after victim spotted him drinking in hotel bar

Summary

Martin Keane, 59, was sentenced in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after pleading guilty to a theft committed on November 24, 2015. The court heard that Keane stole €20,000 worth of photography equipment from a hotel room in Dublin city centre. The victim, Brian Samuelson, later identified Keane from CCTV footage while he was drinking in a bar at the Gresham Hotel. Keane was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to carrying out the theft. Defence counsel Dominic McGinn SC argued that Keane was not a hardened criminal and highlighted recent serious health problems. However, Judge Karen O'Connor noted that Keane was a prolific thief with 16 previous convictions for theft and shoplifting in the UK. The judge described the offence as opportunistic but stated that Keane was caught red-handed. All but €2,000 of the stolen equipment was recovered. Judge O'Connor suspended a sentence of six months imprisonment on the condition that Keane pays €2,000 to the Capuchin Day Centre for homeless people.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Thief caught "red-handed" after victim spotted him drinking in hotel bar. Charges or matters: carrying out the theft on November 24, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 24, 2015 Incident
• 2017-02-09 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report