Man denies thieving cars from motor dealer and having them crushed

Limerick

Paul Curtin (46) pleaded not guilty to 12 offences, which all allegedly occurred on 20 December 2019.

THE TRIAL OF a man accused of breaking into a car-sales business, stealing 10 cars and having them crushed for money, opened at the Limerick Circuit Criminal Court today.

Paul Curtin (46), of Ince Bui, Cappamore, Co Limerick, pleaded not guilty to 12 offences, which all allegedly occurred on 20 December 2019.

Curtin denied 10 counts of theft from John Moloney Motors, on 20 December 2019, when the business was located at Ballysimon Road, Limerick, under the then ownership of John Moloney, who the court heard had subsequently died.

Curtin also pleaded not guilty to one count of causing criminal damage at Moloney’s car sales lot, by sawing/cutting through the premises entrance gates.

He pleaded not guilty to one count of acting dishonestly and with the intention of making a gain for himself or another, or of causing a loss to another, by any deception inducing another to do an act.

A jury of seven women and five men was sworn in to hear the trial on Monday.

Opening the prosecution’s case, barrister John O’Sullivan said it is alleged that Curtin “had to cut or saw through solid steel gates” to get access to “secured cars” at Moloney’s car lot.

O’Sullivan alleged Curtin brought the cars to scrap business, Limerick Metals, also located at Ballysimon Road, which had a machine for “crushing” motor vehicles, and had all 10 cars scrapped.

“He [Curtin] had no right to damage the steel gate, it was a brazen act of theft,” O’Sullivan told the jury.

“He cut this gate, property of the Moloney family, and removed the vehicles from Mr Moloney’s garage, vehicles that had been well secured, and took them to a facility for scrapping vehicles and other items.”

O’Sullivan said the jury would be shown evidence of Curtin “captured” on closed circuit television security cameras “not only removing the cars, but he is also captured getting them scrapped”.

“The accused forcibly entered Mr Moloney’s property and removed cars and took them straight to a scrapyard and had them scrapped, it is believed he got money for that…he had no right or authority to do so,” continued O’Sullivan BL.

Prosecution witness, Garda Jamie Jordan, told the court that when he responded to Limerick Meals on the afternoon in question, it was too late and the cars had been crushed.

Garda Jordan said he met Moloney’s daughter, Judy Moloney, who gave him Curtin’s name and phone number as being the person she believed had removed the cars from her family’s car sales premises.

Garda Jordan said he telephoned Curtin and that the accused told him he had moved the cars to Limerick Metals “under the instructions” of Stephen O’Sullivan, who the court heard is also known as Stephen “Bawn” O’Sullivan.

John O’Sullivan BL, instructed by Limerick state solicitor, Padraig Mawe, told the jury that “Bawn” O’Sullivan was “also involved in a second hand motor trade” at the time.

John O’Sullivan said Moloney’s business was performing “pretty poorly” at the time, and Moloney was being “helped out” by his daughter Judy and his son Gerard.

O’Sullivan BL said, at the time, Moloney had entered into an “agreement” with Bawn O’Sullivan, allowing him to operate his own car sales business on the same site; however, both car lots were trading “separate” to one another, and Moloney’s cars were “well secured”.

Nicholas Hall BL, barrister for Curtin, instructed by solicitor Sarah Ryan, asked Garda Jordan to repeat what Curtin told him when he rang him about the cars that had been removed from Moloney’s Car Sales.

Garda Jordan told the court: “He [Curtin] said he removed vehicles to Limerick Metals on instructions from Stephen O’Sullivan”.

The trial, before Judge Colin Daly, continues on Tuesday.