A UKRAINIAN man pleaded guilty to the theft of aftershave and perfume totalling more than €500 from a Letterkenny pharmacy.
Yurii Hnatiuk (34), 3 Cnoc Ard Apartments, Letterkenny, pleaded guilty to the offences on Monday.
The court heard how on February 3, 2024 at Magees, Letterkenny, he stole perfume to the value of €250.
On January 18, 2024 Hnatiuk stole aftershave worth €305 from the same premises.
Gardaí viewed CCTV footage and identified the defendant.
The bottles of perfume were recovered and were resalable but the aftershave was not, the court was told.
The court heard how Hnatiuk was convicted of theft in October 2023, for which he received a six-month probation bond, meaning that he was still under the probation bond when he committed these offences.
Defendant’s solicitor Frank Dorrian said his client’s actions were “driven by poverty”.
“I have explained to my client the implication of the probation bond.
”He said these offences were driven by poverty.
“He did not need or want the items he took.”
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham adjourned the matter until this morning.
“The difficulty is he was in a bond. I don’t have the details on the bond default. A probation bond breach usually has to go back to Probation Services.”
Judge Cunningham also certified for a Ukrainian interpreter to be present in court this morning.