A man recently pleaded guilty to committing several retail thefts in Waterford city.
Paul Power (39) of 98 Doyle Street, Waterford, appeared at a sitting of Waterford District Court presided over by Judge Catriona Murray. He was charged with three counts of theft, contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act.
Sergeant John Phelan told the court that on 12 March 2025, Gardaí received a report of a theft from Aldi, Ashe Road, Waterford city. The accused was identified from CCTV footage taking groceries to the value of €20.80 from the store. No property was recovered, Sgt Phelan said.
The court heard that on 4 April 2025, Gardaí were alerted to a theft of groceries to the value of €80 from Tesco, Poleberry, Waterford city. The accused was viewed on CCTV putting items into a rucksack before leaving the store without paying, the Sgt told the court.
A third incident occurred on 21 February 2026, when Gardaí were alerted to the theft of ashwagandha tablets worth €32.50 from the Holland and Barrett store at City Square Shopping Centre. Sgt Phelan told the court that the defendant was identified taking the items and subsequently arrested.
It was noted that the accused has 23 previous convictions, which include theft matters. He last appeared before the court in 2014.
Representing the defendant, solicitor Ken Cunningham highlighted that his client has not had a conviction in the past 12 years. Mr. Cunningham stated that his client developed a problem with alcohol and was suffering from mental health issues at the time, which led to the offending.
However, the solicitor noted that the accused has since put this ‘difficult’ period behind him.
Judge Murray noted the guilty plea and the period of time since the accused last appeared before the court. The judge decided to dismiss the €80 theft charge under Section 1 (2) of the Probation Act, placing him on a 12 month bond. All other charges were taken into consideration.
Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme Robyn Power
