Robertstown man jailed for coin theft from Childline charity box

A 33-year-old man addicted to drugs, who stole coins from a Childline box on October 25, 2017, and property from a Newbridge school on another date, has been jailed for a total of 16 months.

At Naas District Court on July 12, Peter Sheridan, from Blackwood, Robertstown, was jailed for six months for taking the Childline coins from a Newbridge premises.

A charge of stealing €4.60 from the tip box at Chopped in the Whitewater Shopping Centre, Newbridge, on May 10, 2017, was taken into account.

The defendant was jailed for 10 months for trespass and taking a laptop from Patrician Brothers school, Naas Road, Newbridge, when he was on bail.

Appealing for his client not to be jailed, solicitor, Tony Hanahoe said of Mr Sheridan: “His problem is drugs. Plain and simple.”

Mr Sheridan, he said, had once lived rough as his family did not tolerate drugs and had put him out of the house.

He was now living at home, since the end of last November, and was doing extremely well.

He had also spent some time in custody but that did not solve his problem as drugs were “freely available” in custody, said Mr Hanahoe.

Mr Sheridan, he said, was prepared to go ” cold turkey.” His mother gave evidence that he was now doing well at home.