'Foolishly removed tags' Man accused of theft of T-shirts has charges struck out

A 48-year-old computer science student appeared before Judge Bernadette Owens in Longford District Court accused of having stolen two t-shirts worth a total of €30 from Dunnes Stores, Dublin Road, Longford.

Mr Karol Skowronski, of 12 The Fairways, Dromod, Leitrim, was arrested and charged on August 10 this year with having stolen the items of clothing.

The court heard that Garda Declan O’Grady of Longford Garda Station had arrested the accused at Dunnes Stores in respect of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 before charging him later that same day.

Representing the accused, solicitor Diarmuid Quinn described the incident as a “misunderstanding,” and said Mr Skowronski had put both T-shirts in the basket ahead of going grocery shopping. It was only afterwards he realised his error.

Mr Quinn said his client had “foolishly” removed the tags from the items, although it was with a view to paying for them. When he returned to Dunnes Stores however, the matter “could not be resolved.”

“He had hoped to rectify it,” Mr Quinn told the court, “but security said Gardaí had been called.”

The Longford-based solicitor said Mr Skowronski was a married father of two with no previous convictions.

He said his client was not working, but was studying computer science in Maynooth.

Striking out the charge, Judge Bernadette Owens ordered Mr Skowronski to pay €200 to the Bridgeways Resource Centre, Ballymahon.

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