Two men caught in a field with cash stolen from a Mayo dwelling

Two Dublin men were caught in a field with cash stolen from a house in Belmullet.

The men, who are cousins, and both share the name William O’Reilly, appeared before Belmullet District Court.

William O’Reilly, aged 42, of Bridge View, Cloverhill, Clondalkin, and his younger cousin, aged 34, of Fonthill Close, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty to handling stolen property.

The court was told that at 9.45 p.m. on October 19, 2025, gardaí were alerted to suspicious activity in the Tallagh Road area of Belmullet.

Three males were spotted exiting the rear of a property and were tracked across fields by gardaí.

The third person was a juvenile and was not before the court.

When officers caught up with the men they were found with €385 and $120 as well as business cards and envelopes belonging to the homeowner.

The 34-year-old O’Reilly has previous convictions for motoring offences but nothing of this nature.

The older man has 20 previous convictions, including five for similar crimes.

Solicitor Peter Loftus said the younger man is a father-of-five who works in the tarmacadam business. He said his client fully accepted that he had the items and took responsibility for them.

The older O’Reilly is a father-of-six and works as a handyman.

Judge Sandra Murphy adjourned sentencing the pair until a probation report for each man is prepared and a victim impact statement is sought from the property owner.

The case was adjourned until July 8 next.

* Funded under the Courts Reporting Scheme.