Man burgled Laois interiors business

A man admitted burgling a business in Portarlington and attempting to burgle the Post Office. 

Radu Teglas (34) of Greenlands B&B, Corduff, Lusk, Dublin,  pleaded guilty to burgling Parklane Interiors in  Portarlington and the attempted burglary of the Post Office in Portarlington on October 9, 2019.

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby told a sitting of Portlaoise District Court that Gardaí responded to an alarm at Parklane Interiors at 3.45am on the date in question and they spoke to the owner. 

“She informed them that the window of the premises had been smashed,” said Sgt Kirby. The woman said nothing was taken but a bed and mattress at the premises had been soiled with blood. 

Sgt Kirby said “excellent quality” CCTV from the Post Office showed the defendant “pushing the door of the Post Office with force on a number of occasions” and also elbowing the glass in an attempt to break it. He said the accused had previous convictions for road traffic offences and theft.  He said the case came before the courts in 2019 and a bench warrant was issued when the defendant didn’t appear. 

“It is believed the gent was residing out of the State in the intervening period,” he explained. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client had returned to his home country of Romania for a number of years. She said he had brought €400 compensation to court. “He tells me that he has grown up,” she said. 

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“He tells me that he was drinking at the time,” she told Judge Andrew Cody. She said the man was working at a farm in Lusk for the past three years. 

Judge Cody fined the man €1,000 and imposed an eight month prison sentence which he suspended for three years.