Man who stole beer keg in Cork city jailed for nine months

Gardaí on patrol in the early hours of the morning were alerted to a man crossing Shandon pedestrian bridge in Cork with a wheelie bin containing a stolen keg of beer and now the culprit has been jailed for nine months.

That sentence was imposed by Judge Mary Dorgan on 53-year-old Martin Hurley, who pleaded guilty to that and other crimes.

The keg of beer in the wheelie bin had been stolen from the Rising Sun premises on Cornmarket Street and Martin Hurley itted handling this stolen property at Shandon Bridge, which spans from Kyrl’s Quay, near the Bridewell Garda Station, to Pope’s Quay. The incident was detected at 2am on August 21, 2024.

Martin Hurley, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to a number of offences: That on February 2, 2024, he went into Spitjack on Washington St at around 6am and stole bottles of alcohol valued €25; that on August 7, 2024, he was aggressive and abusive to a woman at Washington St; that on August 21, 2024, he was caught handling stolen property, namely the keg of beer. And that on October 6, 2024, at Fine Wines, Blackpool, he stole alcohol valued €13.

The sentence of nine months was backdated to October 2024 as he has been in custody since then.

The same defendant is before Cork Circuit Criminal Court where sentencing in a burglary case against him was adjourned until November 5.

Defence solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher said in Cork District Court that the accused had been engaging in rehabilitation but relapsed and addiction difficulties ran deep.

“He fell into addictions early in life. Now, at 53, alcohol addiction is his main fall down. His family home was boarded up when he was in prison. So he was back on the streets. There is a huge level of co-operation from him and he itted all of these,” Mr Kelleher added.