Waterford prosecco thief given second chance
Harty stole two bottles of prosecco from the hotel.
A 23-year-old man has received a second chance after violating the terms of his suspended sentence by stealing two bottles of prosecco.
Tom 'Tommy' Harty, of Shandon Halting Site, Dungarvan, appeared at Waterford Circuit Court before Judge Eugene O'Kelly.
He had received a partially suspended sentence for producing a slash-hook during an ongoing feud.
On June 29, 2021, Harty was observed taking out a slash-hook in a supermarket carpark in Dungarvan. He was in the company of several other people and he held the implement in his hand "for three seconds" before putting it away.
In October 2023, Harty received a two-year prison sentence with the final 12 months suspended for committing the offence contrary to Section 11 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.
In September 2024, Harty committed burglary by entering the Park Hotel, Dungarvan and taking two bottles of prosecco, valued at €20 each. The court heard that he went into the "horsebox" at the back of the hotel, took the bottles and "broke the bottles off a wall".
Defence counsel Sarah-Jane Comerford confirmed that her client was intoxicated at the time of the burglary. She said he "doesn't do well" when drinking. The court heard that Harty dropped out of school at age 16 and "started to go down a bad road" after the death of his father.
He is now married and has been working steadily as a farmhand for the last few years. He apologised for his offences.
Ms Comerford said: "He is trying his best," to which Judge O'Kelly responded: "That's not good enough if he's stealing from people."
Judge O'Kelly decided to put off proceedings for a year, warning Ms Comerford: "If he re-offends in a year [then] he is not getting another chance."
Harty was told to remain of "sober habits" during this time.
