A man who brought a pair of pliers into a changing room to remove security tags from clothing has been bound to the peace.
Sean Sherlock, aged 31, appeared at Buncrana District Court charged with a number of theft offences.
The court heard that on December 24th last at 2.40pm, Sherlock entered the DV8 shop at Letterkenny Shopping Centre.
He took a number of items into the changing rooms including two hooded tops valued at €69 each and a t-shirt valued at €45.
He tried to leave the shop but security staff found him wearing one of the hoodies and another was stuffed into a carrier bag.
He also had a set of red pliers which he had used to remove security tags from the clothing.
On April 2nd last at Tesco in Letterkenny, there were reports that two mobile phones had been stolen.
Security staff followed two males who had fled on foot.
However, when they caught up with them it transpired that the men, one of whom was Sherlock, had actually taken security cases but there were no phones in them.
Sherlock, with an address at Fortwell Court in Letterkenny, and the other man were arrested and made admissions to Gardai.
Solicitor Frank Dorrian said his client had battled with addictions and was homeless at the time.
He had undergone treatment at Whiteoaks and although he was originally from County Meath, had found himself living in Letterkenny.
“His clothing was filthy and he was sleeping rough. This was almost doomed to fail,” said Mr Dorrian.
He added that his client his now trying to stay clean saying that Sherlock had assured him that if he remains alcohol-free then he will remain crime-free.
He had been in custody since being arrested by Gardai last Saturday, April 3rd.
Judge Paul Kelly said that under the circumstances he was ordering Sherlock to keep the peace on his own bond of €150.