Longford District Court: Man accused of stealing washing-up products back in legal hot water

25-year-old Polish national Sebastian Kubuj, with an address of Clonturk, Stonepark, Longford, has appeared back before Longford District Court.

Just four days earlier, Mr Kubuj - who moved to Ireland when he was a child - appeared before Judge Bernadette Owens on two new charges of theft. The items he’s alleged to have stolen included over €100 worth of Ariel Detergent from Tesco and just over €70 worth of cosmetics from Boots.

Prior to that, Mr Kubuj had appeared before Longford District Court last March where he received a suspended sentence in lieu of six months imprisonment for the theft of assorted groceries to the value of €120 from Dealz in Longford’s Market Square on September 11, 2025.

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During the same court sitting, Judge Owens directed a probation report to include a community service assessment of 118 hours in lieu of 6 months in prison in respect to Mr Kubuj’s remaining matters before the courts, namely:

• Theft of cosmetics to the value of €295.20 from Cara Pharmacy on January 7 last
• Theft of fragrance sets to the value of €405.50 from Boots on Ballymahon Street on January 9
• Theft of groceries / washing machine tablets worth €105 from Lidl on Longford’s Dublin Road on January 17
• Theft of €60 worth of washing tablets from EuroGiant on Main Street in Longford Town on January 20.

The thefts totalled almost €1,000.

During the recent sitting of the court, Solicitor for Mr Kubuj, Mr Frank Gearty explained the probation report for the older charges was the reason for their swift return to the court, after having previously been before Judge Owens mere days earlier regarding Mr Kubuj’s two new charges of theft.

Explained Solr Gearty, “The reason he is back so soon after Friday, Judge, is because he was here on the old charges. The probation report was rather positive.”

“Do you need further time to take instructions?” Judge Owens queried.

“We are almost in a position to advance it but not at the moment,” Solr Gearty confirmed. “You know this family so very well. The problem is that there are conditions of bail, that I’d have to ask for it to go into a date in the relatively near future to look at how the bail is being managed because he has committed himself to stay at home all the time.”

“Well now in fairness Mr Gearty,” Judge Owens began, “I find that people will promise the devil and all if they think they’re going into custody and then they get their way and they begin to chip away at it.”

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With regard to the two new charges before the court, Mr Kubuj stands accused of having stolen €71.98 worth of cosmetic items from Boots in Longford town on March 6 this year, the prosecuting Garda for which was Keith Dunleavy, and 6 bottles of Ariel Detergent, valued at €112, from Tesco in the Longford Shopping Centre on May 14.

The prosecuting Garda for this was Graham Pettit.

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Judge Owens said that while the probation report seemed to indicate that Mr Kubuj was a suitable candidate for community service, she would not impose the order on that particular day due to a conflict with his existing bail conditions.

“Everything changed last Friday,” Solr Gearty concurred.

Judge Owens remanded Mr Kubuj on continuing bail until the July 7 sitting of the district court.