A man caught walking away from a West Dublin building site with a stolen generator has been sent for a drug-treatment programme and probation assessment by the District Court.
Stephen Hall (40), of MacUilliam Parade, Tallaght pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen generator, trespassing on a building site, and having cannabis at locations in Tallaght on 22 March last.
Gardaí told Tallaght District Court they were on patrol near the Cheeverstown Luas stop shortly before midnight when they saw two men leaving the Glenveagh Properties building site, each carrying a generator.
The equipment, worth about €500, had been taken from the site minutes earlier. Hall was stopped around 50 to 100m from the entrance and arrested at 11pm under section 18 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act.
He was cautioned, and during a search gardaí also found a small amount of suspected cannabis valued at €20. The defendant was then taken to Tallaght Garda Station.
Photographs of the generators were shown to Judge Patricia McNamara, who remarked how small they were.
Defence counsel said Hall has struggled with a crack cocaine addiction since the death of his brother a number of years ago and that gardaí agreed he had remained co-operative throughout.
Judge McNamara remanded Hall to Green Street courthouse in Smithfield for consent to a drug-treatment programme and for assessment.