Criminal with 246 previous convictions used angle grinder to cut hole in tradesman’s van

A COURT has been told the extraordinary story of how a 51-year-old man went to a supermarket car park in broad daylight and used an angle grinder to cut a hole in the side of a tradesman’s van so he could steal tools from it.

A month prior to that incident the man had gone to a pub car park and stole tools from another workman’s van.

Before the court was Martin Maughan, St Margaret’s Park, Ballymun who was charged with stealing power tools worth €3,200 from the van at the car park at The Gregory Inn, Main Street, Enfield on 21st May last. He was also charged with damaging a van at the Supervalu Supermarket, in Dunshaughlin.

Court Presenter Sergeant Peter Clarke told the court that the defendant had been identified following the May incident in Enfield. In the June incident defendant had gone to the Supervalu car park at 1pm and used the angle grinder to cut a hole in the sliding door of the VW Transporter vehicle.

The sergeant said that defendant had a total of 246 previous convictions. Among these were 38 for theft, two for unauthorised taking of a vehicle, five criminal damage, and 160 road traffic.

Defending barrister James O’Brien told the court that his client was “in the grip of addiction” at the time of the offences. He had taken steps to undergo rehabilitation. He was someone who was a considerable asset to his wife when he was not in custody. He wanted to engage with treatment centres, the barrister said.

Judge Cormac Dunne said the offences committed by the defendant were significantly aggravated by the sheer audacity and contempt shown for the public. In the circumstances he had to impose consecutive sentences. On the May offence he imposed a sentence of eight months imprisonment followed by 10 months on the June incident, the sentences backdated to 31st August this year.