Man (43) convicted of stealing meat from Wicklow SuperValu
The Wicklow PeopleA homeless man accused of stealing meat products on three separate occasions from the same SuperValu store in Wicklow has been sentenced to time already served
Richard Krajcovic (43) of no fixed abode pleaded guilty at a sitting of Bray District Court to three counts of theft from the same SuperValu in Bray.
Judge David Kennedy asked the defendant if he wanted the matters dealt with at the District Court level or if he wanted to go forward to the Circuit Criminal Court, where he would have the option of a trial with a jury. Solicitor for Krajcovic, Joe Maguire, told the court that his client chose to be sentenced in the District Court.
Sergeant Mick Canavan read out the facts of the alleged thefts, with the court hearing that on October 19 last year, the accused entered SuperValu on Castle Street and stole six cans of corned beef valued at €80.
Three days prior, Krajcovic was observed on CCTV entering the same store and placing three packets of rib-eye steak into his jacket before leaving without paying.
On October 21, gardaí responded to a call that a security guard at SuperValu had detained the defendant trying to leave the shop with meat products worth €150. The items were recovered.
Mr Maguire stated that the defence’s position is that Krajcovic, who is a Slovakian national, became homeless and stole the products for “personal use”.
Mr Krajcovic had been in Ireland for seven months before entering custody.
The accused has been in custody since October, even though Judge Kennedy granted him bail, as he was unable to take it up. “If he was released, he (Krajcovic) believed he would have died,” said Mr Maguire.
The court heard Krajcovic had reached out to his home country’s embassy for a replacement passport but could not afford the fee, and had made enquiries with the relevant authorities about international protection accommodation, but was refused due to being from an EU country.
The defendant cannot receive social welfare due to not having a fixed address, the court was told.
The defence made an application that if Krajcovic made a donation to the poor box, he could be returned to Slovakia.
“I’m not using the poor box for such a thing,” said Judge Kennedy.
The judge sentenced Krajcovic to time served on one count of theft and took the remaining charges into consideration, as he has been on remand since October