David Raleigh
A son of GAA hurling legend, Davy Fitzgerald, appeared in court on Tuesday to affirm guilty pleas to thieving a total of €35,000 from a bank in his native county Clare.
Colm Fitzgerald, (27), of Castlequinn, Sixmilebridge, had pleaded guilty before Ennis District Court, last Wednesday, to seven separate counts of theft of €5,000 from Bank of Ireland, Shannon Industrial Estate, Shannon, County Clare.
The matter was returned to Ennis Circuit Criminal Court today where Mr Fitzgerald appeared before Judge Francis Comerford and affirmed his guilty pleas to all seven theft offences.
The thefts occurred on unknown dates between May 26th, 2023 and July 13th, 2023, the court heard.
The court registrar read each of the seven charges out and asked Mr Fitzgerald if he was changing his guilty plea, to which he replied each time: “No”.
Judge Comerford granted an application by Mr Fitzgerald’s barrister, Kenneth Keirns BL, instructed by Dan O’Gorman, O’Gorman Solicitors Limerick, for legal aid, after the defence barrister handed the judge a copy of “a statement of means” in respect of Mr Fitzgerald.
“It becomes a matter of sentence now, which should not take any longer than 30-40 minutes,” Mr Keirns informed the court.
“He (Mr Fitzgerald) comes before the court with no previous convictions, and he has an underlying issue that he is dealing with,” Mr Keirns said.
The barrister applied for a probation report, which Judge Comerford granted and directed be produced at Mr Fitzgerald’s sentencing hearing.
The judge adjourned the proceedings to the March call over of cases and directed that Mr Fitzgerald be excused from attending the court on that date.
Mr Fitzgerald was remanded on continuing bail for a date for sentence which will be fixed next month.
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