CITY MAN JAILED FOR FORGERY AND THEFT

Date Published: 11-Nov-2009

A 30 year old city man who stole a bunch of flowers on St. Valentine’s Day and changed the amount due to him on his dole slip to give himself a 200 euro bonus, has been jailed for five months.

Damien McElroy, of 30 John Coogan Park, Newcastle and 17 Claddagh Quay, appeared before Galway District Court this week

He pleaded guilty to changing the amount due to him on the dole slip from 187 euro 80 to 387 euro 80 on May 20th at the Post Office on Eglinton Street.

Damien McElroy told Gardai after being caught that he was under pressure for money at the time.

Judge Mary Fahy sentenced him to two months in prison for breaching the peace in Supermacs and imposed a consecutive two-month sentence on him for failing to show up in court at an earlier court hearing.

A further one-month sentence was handed down to McElroy for forging the social welfare slip along with a 200 euro fine for being drunk in public.