Man who stole €11,000 of equipment from Mayo takeaway to be sentenced next month

A MAN who stole over €11,000 of equipment from a takeaway he had been running will be sentenced next month.

Yasir Ali (29) of Lighthouse Apartments, East Wall, Dublin, pleaded guilty to burglary at Thomas Street Takeaway, Castlebar, on May 18, 2015.

The equipment comprised a large commercial freezer, deep fat fryers, a commercial hot plate burger fryer, a medium freezer, microwave and food blender. Other items included stainless steel mixing bowls and mixing trays, a chip holder, two stainless steel tables and a food chopping board.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the total value of the equipment was €11,484.50.

Ali was arrested shortly after the offence and made admissions to gardaí but was caught a month later at Dublin Airport, trying to leaving the country using false documentation.

Detective Garda Declan Sweeney told the court today that Ali initially refused to reveal where himself and a co-accused had put the stolen equipment.

However after his arrest at Dublin Airport, Ali led gardaí to a farmhouse at Hollymount in July 2015, where the concealed equipment was recovered and returned to its owner.

The court heard that Mr Gerry Hughes owned the takeaway and rented it out in May 2014 to a man who subsequently sublet it without consent in January 2015 to four men, including Ali.

Mr. Hughes told the men he wanted them to leave, but they continued to run the takeaway for a number of months without paying any rent.

They left the premises sometime before the end of April 2015 and, on May 19, Mr Hughes went to gardaí to report a burglary. CCTV footage showed three men including Ali entering the takeaway and removing a considerable amount of equipment.

Ali, who has no previous convictions, got a three-month suspended sentence for using false documentation at Dublin Airport.

Garda Sweeney agreed with defence counsel for Ali that he had cooperated with gardaí and has adhered to his bail conditions.

The court heard that Ali, who has a previous address of Waterside, Ballinrobe, has recently been diagnosed with diabetes and also suffers from anxiety.

Judge O'Connor agreed to postpone sentencing until December 18 in order to allow his defence counsel to furnish medical reports.