Heroin addict stole from poor box in city church

A heroin addict has been given a suspended sentence for stealing money from a church poor box using the spoke of a bicycle wheel with sticky tape attached.

Kevin Goldbey (32), with an address at 28 Gaelcarrig Park, Newcastle, pleaded guilty before Galway District Court previously to having the spoke with sticky tape attached at one end with the intention it be used to commit theft at the Sacred Heart Church, Westside, on April 21 last year. He pleaded guilty also to stealing €11.50 from the church on the same date.

Sentence was adjourned to last week’s court to await the findings of a community service report assessment.

The court heard Goldbey was deemed to be an unsuitable candidate for community service due to his ongoing addiction issues.

Defence solicitor, Colin Lynch said his client was no longer taking heroin and had been on methadone before relapsing for a time around Christmas. He said Goldbey had paid some compensation in November for the theft of a poor box.

Judge Mary Fahy sentenced Goldbey to five months in prison for having the spoke to commit theft and she imposed a concurrent one-month sentence for the theft of cash from the church. She suspended both sentences for twelve months.