Bail for man charged with possession of stolen farm property

A 29-year-old man charged with possession of stolen property in Clonmel District Court on Saturday was released on bail.

Darren O’Donoghue (29) of 44 Croke Gardens, Thurles, Co Tipperary, appeared before a special sitting of Clonmel District Court on Saturday 10 June.

O’Donoghue was arrested on Friday 9 June following a four-month surveillance operation by gardaí in Ardfinnan and Cahir.

Gardaí searched a rented lock-up shed on a farm in Knockroe, Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary, on Friday and discovered a large quantity of agricultural, industrial and gardening equipment which they believe to be stolen in the UK and Ireland.

Gardaí estimated the equipment to be valued at €200,000.

It is understood that included in the items discovered were a Yamaha quad with mounted sprayer, an 8ft x 4ft Ifor Williams trailer, a stone-burying rotovator, a scrambler motor bike, nine industrial diesel generators, two push lawnmowers and diagnostic equipment for car mechanics.

Prior arrest

In court, Garda Niall O’Halloran from Ardfinnan station sought to have the defendant remanded in custody, saying that O’Donoghue was currently out on bail following a prior arrest in Dublin.

On 29 April, Darren O’Donoghue was arrested by gardaí at Terminal 3 of Dublin Port.

On 30 April, he was charged in Dublin District Court with possession of stolen property, being in possession of false registration plates, and allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle.

He was granted bail on a number of conditions, including that he would not leave the country.

Solicitor Colin Morrissey of English Leahy Solicitors, representing O’Donoghue in court, told Judge Gerard Furlong that his client was contesting the charges in the Dublin case.

Stolen quad

Garda O’Halloran told Judge Furlong that 203 large items had been found in a search of the shed at Knockroe.

Among the items contained in the shed was a brand new green Yamaha quad bike with sprayers mounted front and rear, estimated to be worth €6,500. It was stolen from Harrow, London, on 7 January 2016.

Garda O’Halloran added that the owner of the shed, Patrick Flynn, had made a witness statement stating that the accused has rented the shed from him since April 2016.

In seeking to have the defendant remanded in custody, Garda O’Halloran said that based on the nature and strength of the evidence of the property discovered in the shed, if confirmed as stolen, a conviction would carry a penalty of up to 10 years in imprisonment.

In court, O’Donoghue admitted that he was the leasee and the person in charge of the shed and had paid rent of €5,000 to the shed owner, Patrick Flynn.

When questioned, he told Judge Furlong that his business was in car boot sales and market trading for the past eight years. When asked if he had filed tax returns, O’Donoghue said he had only registered for tax this year.

Bail conditions

Judge Furlong granted bail on a number of conditions, including the immediate lodgement of €3,500, as well as €2,500 cash surety from O’Donoghue. He also imposed an independent surety of €2,500 from O’Donoghue’s ex-partner and mother of his two children, Lana O’Regan, with an address at 1 Prior Pak Crescent, Clonmel.

The judge also imposed other conditions including:

The court remanded O'Donoghue to appear at Cashel District Court in July.

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