Stole money from Offaly hotel car park machine
AN employee of a Tullamore hotel was stealing money from a coin machine on the premises, the local District Court heard.
Judge Andrew Cody imposed a €500 fine and a suspended three-month prison sentence on Rolandas Kildas (47) Hophill Grove, Tullamore.
Mr Kildas was originally accused of five offences on different dates earlier this year at the Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore.
Two charges alleged the theft of unknown amounts of cash belonging to the Bridge House, one relating to an alleged offence on January 11, 2026 and another alleging an offence on January 25.
In addition, Mr Kildas was accused of stealing €169 cash on January 18, €183 cash on February 15 and €110 cash on February 22.
Having been prosecuted by Garda Alan Burke, Mr Kildas appeared before Tullamore District Court on April 1 on all five charges and was remanded on continuing bail to May 13.
Last week when Mr Kildas appeared before Judge Andrew Cody his barrister, David Nugent , BL, confirmed his presence and said it was agreed with the prosecution there would be pleas of guilty to three of the five charges.
Judge Cody clarified those were the offences involving the theft of €183 cash and €169 cash, plus one of the charges involving the theft of an unknown amount.
Sergeant Brendan Kearns, court presenter, said the three incidents of theft occurred on various dates in January and February.
The money was taken by the accused, an employee of the hotel, from a coin machine in the hotel car park.
Sergeant Kearns said the prosecution followed the installation of a camera by hotel management.
He said Mr Kildas had no previous convictions and had been fully co-operative with the gardai during the investigation.
Mr Nugent asked the court for leniency and said that while Mr Kildas had lost his job because of the thefts, he had recently got another one elsewhere.
Defence counsel said the man had brought €300 to court to repay some portion of the amount he had taken.
Mr Nugent said: “He was desperate at the time and made the mistake of engaging in this behaviour.”
He added: “He apologises. It was a moment of madness.”
Judge Cody imposed the fine for one offence, the suspended sentence for another and took the final one into consideration. The three-month sentence is suspended for three years.
(Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme)