Courts / Dublin / Report

No jail for pair who stole cash register during kid's party

Date
2019-03-01

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Rathfarnham

County
Dublin

Summary

Two Dublin men, Eddie Valentine (44) and Mark Kavanagh (40), pleaded guilty to stealing a cash register from Leisureplex, Stillorgan, during a children's birthday party on 4 May 2017. The theft, captured on CCTV, involved €95 in cash and four vending‑machine keys. At a hearing in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Karen O'Connor imposed a headline sentence of three years for each, reduced to two years fully suspended, citing early guilty pleas and chronic drug addiction. Both men were ordered to be supervised by Probation Services for 12 months and to comply with education and drug‑addiction treatment directives. The court noted the incident's aggravating context—children present and a party in progress—and praised a staff member who detained the men. The cash register was never recovered, and the victim impact statement estimated the loss at just under €1,000, including a €500 replacement and €400 for additional security measures.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: No jail for pair who stole cash register during kid's party. Charges or matters: stealing the till from Leisureplex, Stillorgan on May 4, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

May 4, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
2019-03-01 Publication

Case subjects

Eddie Valentine

Defendant

Charges: stealing the till from Leisureplex, Stillorgan on May 4, 2017 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: The judge set a headline sentence of three years for both men but reduced it to two years fully suspended on account of a number of mitigating factors, including their early guilty pleas and chronic drug addictions.

Mark Kavanagh

Accused

Charges: stealing the till from Leisureplex, Stillorgan on May 4, 2017 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty