Man given suspended sentence for Mayo SuperValu theft

A Dublin man who admitted stealing almost €1,000 worth of alcohol from a Ballina supermarket has been given a suspended prison sentence at Castlebar District Court.

Fredy Manciu of Metropolitan Apartments, Inchicore, Dublin 8, appeared before Judge Sandra Murphy with the assistance of a Romanian interpreter. He faced five offences arising from a theft at SuperValu, Bunree Road, Ballina, on September 20, 2022.

Sergeant John O’Reilly told the court that on the date in question, Manciu concealed brandy, champagne and whiskey, valued at €960.49, while acting in concert with two other men. The stolen items were hidden in a series of rucksacks and Manciu was identified through CCTV footage.

Manciu, represented by solicitor Mr. Gary Mulchrone, accepted responsibility and entered a guilty plea.

Mr. Mulchrone outlined that his client was originally from Romania and had come to Ireland in 2014. He is the father of five children, aged between one and 11, and had been the main breadwinner for his family.

He told the court that the offence dated back to a particularly difficult period in 2022 when his client was disqualified from driving, had developed issues with alcohol, and was keeping “bad company”.

The court was also informed that Manciu had accumulated a number of bench warrants while working abroad in the Netherlands, which ultimately led to him being taken into custody.

He had previously received a five-month suspended sentence in Monaghan District Court for a similar theft offence dating from September 2022, three days before the Ballina incident.

Judge Murphy noted that the theft involved “luxury items” and was aggravated by the fact that it was carried out as part of a group.

She also took into account Manciu’s personal circumstances, work history and the fact that there had been no further offending since 2022.

Full compensation of €960.49 was handed into court to be paid to SuperValu, Bunree Road, Ballina.

Judge Murphy imposed a six-month prison sentence, suspended, and noted that the offence formed part of a short period in Manciu’s life when he had been struggling.