A young Bandon man has told a court he was sent to Cork prison for shoplifting and left as a heroin addict.
After his release from prison, he was charged with multiple shoplifting offences (some committed in just the last few days), but he appealed to Judge Mary Dorgan not to be jailed on the new charges.
He said he would stay away from Cork City, live in Bandon and undergo treatment for his new heroin problem.
Defendant Michael O'Driscoll said: “I would stay away from bad company. I would stay away from drugs.
“I ended up on heroin in prison. I've never done heroin in my life. I'm trying to nip it in the bud and get treatment. Prison won't do me any good. I don't want to get into full-blown addiction.
“Now I’m hooked on drugs and I may not be able to get rid of them.
“I went to jail for shoplifting and came out a heroin addict. Look at the needle marks on my arm.”
Sergeant Georoid Davis asked the young man under cross-examination during his bail application: “How do you stop going to prison? Stop committing crimes. You blame everyone but yourself.”
The 26-year-old man said he was the one who took the drugs and blamed no one but himself.
When Judge Mary Dorgan refused bail because of the repeated nature of the alleged thefts, particularly in recent days, and remanded him in custody for a week, Mr O'Driscoll again criticised the decision to remand him in custody.
Complaining about the prison, he said: “Where was the bereavement counselling? Where was the drug counselling. It ruined my life.”
The defendant said he was living at Cushing Place, Farranree, but if released on bail he would be invited to stay with a relative in Kilbeggan, Bandon, Co Cork.
The ten charges of shoplifting and other offences include: criminal damage to a sign; damage worth €150 outside Centra Shopping Centre on Grand Parade on September 1; theft of clothing worth €140 from Lifestyle Sports on St Patrick's Street on September 2; theft from Centra on North Main Street the following day and on September 3; theft of goods worth €750 from Boots Pharmacy in Merchants Quay; and possession of shoplifting property worth €140 on September 4.
He was charged with several more shoplifting offenses on various dates between February and June.