Co. Tipperary man committed 20 offences following his release from prison last year

A 25-year old Tipperary man must serve another eight months jail for a burglary he carried out three years ago after he committed 20 more offences on his release from prison last year. 

Sean Harding of 27 Marian Terrace, Tipperary received a four year jail term with the final 12 months suspended at Clonmel Circuit Court on June 28, 2018. He received the sentence for stealing a 32 inch tlevisione, a playstation, jewellery, silver dog bowl and Hugo Boss set from a house in St Michael’s Avenue in Tipperary on July 26, 2017 and a concurrent 10 months sentence for trespassing on the premises. He thad been in custody in relation to the offence since the previous October, the court heard at the time.  

At the circuit court's latest session, Judge Patrick Meghan activated eight months of the 12 months suspended part of the jail term.  

Mr Harding had a record of 54 previous convictions at the time he was sentenced for the burglary and he committed the burglary while on temporary release from prison. 

Sgt. Cathal Godfrey outlined to Clonmel Circuit Court's recent session that Mr Harding committed 20 offences on five dates since his release from prison last summer.  

They included two criminal damage offences relating to road traffic collisions and the rest were road traffic offences mostly driving without insurance or a driving licence. 

 The most serious was a 12 months jail term he received at Tipperary District Court in  February this year  for a series of offences he committed last November. The offences included dangerous driving, driving while intoxicated, escaping from lawful custody, criminal damage as well as driving without insurance or a licence.  

In relation to the burglary and theft offences for which he was convicted at Clonmel Circuit Court in 2018, Sgt. Godfrey outlined that Mr Harding paid compensation for the property he stole from the house, which he burgled while the occupant wasn't at home. 

He pleaded guilty and apologised to the victim. 

Sgt. Godfrey said Mr Harding had an addiction problem for a considerable period of his life. 

Responding to defence barrister Jane McCudden, the sergeant said Mr Harding was a Jekyll and Hyde person. When he was off drugs and alcohol he was a gentleman. But he was the total opposite when he was abusing them.  

Ms McCudden said her client instructed her that he was released from prison in May last year and there was a period of six weeks after his release where he kept his “nose entirely clean”.

  However he got into a relationship too quickly and when it started to become undone it knocked him off course and he relapsed and seemed powerless to his addiction when he committed these offences. 

She pointed out that Mr Harding always held his hands up when he offended and pleaded guilty. 

He was in custody since his arrest for driving while intoxicated.   

Ms McCudden outlined that her client was addressing his addiction “head on” while in custody.

 He was engaging with Merchants Quay Ireland and was committed to leaving Tipperary Town and the peer group he associated with there when he leaves prison. 

The barrister appealed to Judge Meghan to give her client one final chance. If he decided to revoke the suspension order, she urged that he activate just a portion of the jail term. 

She argued that he hadn't committed any further theft or burglary offences since his release from prison and had already served a significant sentence for the theft and burglary crime he committed. 

She echoed Sergeant Godfrey's assertion that Mr Harding was a different person when he was not abusing alcohol or drugs. 

Judge Meghan activated eight months of the 12 month suspended sentence and suspended the final four months for a period of six months during which time he directed Mr Harding   engage with the Probation Service and receive counselling for his addiction problem. 

The Judge also directed  the eight months jail term be served consecutive to the prison sentence Mr Harding is currently serving.