Jailed for using dud €50 notes
A man who proffered counterfeit €50 notes in a number of business premises in Nenagh, Roscrea and Dolla was jailed by Judge Elizabeth MacGrath in Nenagh District Court last Friday week (November 29th)
Sergeant Michael Keating told the court that Shane Harty (22) of 11 Barr An Cnoic, Nenagh, handed over a dud €50 note for €5 of goods he had purchased in O' Connor's store in Kenyon Street, Nenagh, on October 5th this year.
Three days later he went into the Eagles Nest pub in Dolla and did exactly as he had done in O' Connor's.
On October 22nd last he proffered another dud €50 note in the Aldi Store in Roscrea and just over a week later he tried to pull the same stunt at Bernie's Super Valu in the town, but a staff member recognised the note as a dud.
Mr Harty also pleaded guilty to having two counterfeit €20 notes in Abbey Street, Nenagh, on November 21st last.
Then on November 17th this year he was seen driving a blue Ford Focus car at Martyr's Road, Nenagh. Sergeant Keating said Mr Harty was supposed to be serving a driving ban at the time. When spotted by gardaí he ran from the car into a local shop. The car was subsquently seized.
Three days later he was spotted in Abbey Street in the town, again driving a car while supposed be serving a driving ban.
Sergeant Keating said Mr Harty had a total of 70 previous convictions, including ten that were theft and fraud related, and 37 relating to breaches of the road traffic act.
He had eight previous convictions for driving without insurance and had previously received driving bans and spent time in jail for that offence.
Defending solicitor, Elizabeth McKeever, said her client was pleading to all charges. "He has a completely dreadful record."
He was still a relatively young man with two children. A young nephew of his had died in June of this year and he "went off the rails".
Ms McKeever said her client knew he was facing a jail sentence and would now be away from his family for Christmas.
Judge MacGrath imposed a total sentence of 10 months. Recognisances were fixed in the event of an appeal.