Courts / Dublin / Report

Grandad ditched stolen clothes when he spotted garda van

Summary

Jason Finlay, 49, was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to theft at Lifestyle Sports on 4 May 2020. He had stolen €13,020 worth of sports clothing, but when a Garda public‑order van approached he "ditched" the items on a street, where €770 worth were later recovered in saleable condition. The remaining goods were never found. Finlay, who has 54 prior convictions, was arrested at Peter McVerry Hostel after Gardaí received an anonymous tip and CCTV footage linked him to the robbery. He was intoxicated at the time of the offence and has expressed a desire to leave drug use. The judge noted his opportunistic offence and his ambition to reform, sentencing him to 10 months' custody as the best possible outcome.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Grandad ditched stolen clothes when he spotted garda van. Charges or matters: theft at Lifestyle Sports, Grafton Street, Dublin 2, on May 4, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 4, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2021-04-28 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report