East Clare Man Admits Handling Stolen Manhole Covers

A judge said yesterday that a man who pleaded guilty in connection with the disappearance of 15 steel manhole covers from a motorway had concocted a ‘fairy-tale’ story explaining their disappearance.

Judge Patrick Durcan said that Jonathan Shane O’Donoghue (20) of Bog Rd, Tulla, Co Clare was caught ‘red handed’ when Gardai saw Mr O’Donoghue remove a steel manhole cover from the motorway works and place it in a nearby van on March 5th this year at Tubber adjacent to the Limerick to Galway motorway.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

Judge Durcan told Ennis District Court that Mr O’Donoghue had engaged in “an audacious kind of criminality”.

Mr O’Donoghue pleaded guilty to the handling of the stolen manhole covers after Gardaí withdrew an accompanying charge of Mr O’Donoghue stealing the items.

On the date, Gardaí found a total of 15 steel manhole covers that had disappeared from the motorway in the rear of Mr O’Donoghue’s van.

Garda Catriona Mangan said that in a Garda interview, Mr O’Donoghue “claimed that he met a man at the side of the motorway on his way out of Limerick and this man told him he could buy all the manhole covers from Ennis to Gort and he had permission to take them”.

Solicitor for Mr O’Donoghue, John Casey said that his client had paid the man €110 for all of the manhole covers.

Insp John Ryan said that the National Roads Authority (NRA) own the manhole covers and  the authority had given no one authority to take them.

Insp Ryan said: “They would have substantial value.”

Garda Mangan said that the manhole covers were located three feet away from the road and Judge Durcan said: “On a wet night, this would create a huge danger.”

Garda Mangan said that Mr O’Donoghue told her that the man he bought the manhole covers from had also arranged to sell him two tonnes of ‘cats’ eyes’ and this was included in the €110 price.

Mr Casey said that the manhole covers weren't on the road surface, but on the nearby grass verge.

Judge Durcan asked Garda Mangan did she believe Mr O’Donoghue’s story and Garda Mangan replied that there was a juvenile with Mr O’Donoghue at the time and their stories were conflicted.

Mr Casey said that Mr O’Donoghue never got an education and cannot only write his first name. He said: “As you can see from the Garda memo of interview, they were signed ‘Shane’. They are not signed ‘Shane O’Donoghue’ – he can’t even spell his second name.”

Mr Casey said: “However unbelievable it may seem, Mr O’Donoghue says that he bought the manhole covers and the big Santa present of the two big sacks of cats’ eyes for €110.”

The solicitor said that Mr O’Donoghue is a member of the traveller community and knew there was possibly something wrong with the deal but did hope to make a bit of profit from it.

Yesterday in court, Judge Durcan said that Mr O’Donoghue had engaged in “an audacious kind of criminality and this is coupled with his butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth approach”.

Judge Durcan told Mr O’Donoghue “this is a very serious offence” pointing out that he had no great level of previous convictions, is a young man and also suffered from a lack of education.

Remanding Mr O’Donoghue on bail, Judge Durcan said “this case causes me difficulty” and adjourned sentencing to next Wednesday, October 1st.