A Derry man who stole more than €1,300 worth of goods including a €789 coffee machine during a shoplifting spree in Letterkenny has appeared in court.
John McFeely appeared at Letterkenny District Court before Judge Ciaran Liddy.
The 41-year-old is charged with three counts of robbery at three different shops on two different dates in July this year.
The court heard that on June 17th, he entered JD Sports at the Letterkenny Retail Park.
He walked around the shop and picked up a range of items to the value of €530 and then left the store without paying.
CCTV showed him leaving the store with the goods and getting into a Volkswagen Polo car and driving off.
On the same date he was then filmed on CCTV stealing a Sage Coffee Machine from Currys on Neil T Blaney Road.
McFeely, of Thornlee Gardens in Derry, walked into the store, picked up the coffee machine valued at €789 and walked out of the shop without paying.
He was also charged with stealing a set of pliers valued at €10 from Homebase in Letterkenny on July 31st.
Gardai later spotted McFeely driving the VW Polo in Letterkenny, pulled him in and identified him as the person behind the spate of thefts.
He was taken to Letterkenny Garda Station where he admitted the offences.
The court was told that some of the goods from JD Sports had been recovered but that McFeely had sold the €789 coffee machine for £100 stg.
Defence solicitor Fiona Browne, said her client suffered from mental health problems and was under the care of the mental health services in Northern Ireland.
She said McFeely was fully cooperative with Gardai when apprehended and has no previous convictions.
Ms Browne added that McFeely is “waiting for a bed” to go into hospital for treatment for his mental health issues.
Judge Liddy imposed the Probation Act on all three charges under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Fraud and Theft Offences Act).
A charge of no insurance was struck out after the relevant papers were produced by the man’s mother in court.
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