Waterford man is sentenced for burglarising his local parish church
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A 40-year-old man appeared in court this week to receive a sentence for committing burglary at a church in Waterford city, and for stealing €1,000 worth of items from a construction site in Ballybeg two days later.
The man told the court that he was “highly devastated and ashamed” of his actions. He said the church is where he got married and that he attended there weekly prior to going into custody.
Edward O’Reilly (40), of Millbrook Court, Kilcohan, entered the Sacred Heart Church at The Folly on June 8.
Whilst inside, he found a pair of keys for a store room. He stole €100 of cleaning products from the room and fled.
In a separate incident that occurred two days later, the man stole a generator worth €900 and a step ladder worth €100 from a construction site at Ballybeg Stores.
Acting for the defendant, solicitor Kenneth Cunningham, said these were “grab and go” type offences.
Mr. Cunningham said that his client left the building site in full view of its owner, and that the items stolen from the church were of little to no value.
The man presented a lengthy apology letter to the court. In it he wrote that he was ashamed of his actions.
He said that since he has been in custody, he has been on a mattress in overcrowded conditions.
O'Reilly has 40 previous convictions.
He committed his latest offences whilst serving two suspended sentences.
Judge John Cheatle activated one of those sentences, amounting to six months.
For the theft from the construction site, the man received an additional six months, suspended for 18 months.
