Shoplifter nabbed filling suitcase with clothes

A shoplifter has been sentenced to four months in prison for taking a suitcase from a shelf in Penneys and packing it with clothing before leaving the store without paying.

Judge Mary Fahy described Remi Makula (19), of 52 Fearann Rí, Doughiska, as a recidivist because he has three previous convictions for similar shoplifting offences, a more recent one for a serious assault on a schoolgirl, a burglary and motoring offences.

A bench warrant was issued for Makula’s arrest when he failed to show up in court to face the shoplifting offence which occurred at Primark, Galway Shopping Centre, on March 29 last.

Garda Padraic Kelly gave evidence at Galway District Court on Monday of executing the bench warrant that morning.

Makula was brought in custody before the court where he pleaded guilty to the charge.

He had been out on bail while awaiting his appeal against the severity of a nine-month prison sentence, imposed on him by Judge Fahy three weeks ago for breaking his ex-girlfriend’s cheekbone during an assault on her in a city school.

He had pleaded guilty at the time to assaulting the 16-year-old schoolgirl, causing her harm, and to a second charge of trespassing at Presentation Secondary School on February 9 last year.

Leave to appeal the nine-month sentence was granted on Makula’s own surety of €800, and one independent surety of €1,000, with half to be lodged in each case.

Judge Fahy granted leave to appeal the sentence to a higher court on condition Makula make no contact, by any means, with the injured party or her family.

Makula immediately lodged the required €900 cash in court and took up bail.

He failed to show up in court last week to face the separate shoplifting charge and a bench warrant issued for his arrest.

Sergeant Georgina Lohan, prosecuting, told the court that Macula was captured on CCTV filling a suitcase with €122 worth of clothing. He handed the suitcase back to security staff when they apprehended him outside the store.

Judge Fahy said the accused made it very clear when he was a juvenile that he had no interest in doing community service.

“He is in and out of this court practically every week and the attitude is he doesn’t want help and he won’t do community service.

“The blasé attitude of him. He thinks he can just walk in and take items and he doesn’t treat the court with any seriousness.

“The blasé way he took a suitcase and filled it up with €122 worth of clothing. That’s a lot of clothing because the clothes are cheap. And he has come before this court, time and time again,” Judge Fahy said before sentencing Makula to four months in prison for this latest shoplifting offence.

Members of Makula’s family immediately lodged the required €700 cash for an appeal so that he could walk free pending the hearing of that.