Man who stole from Letterkenny pharmacy gets suspended sentence

A man who stole over €500 worth of perfume and aftershave from a Letterkenny pharmacy has been given a suspended sentence.

Yurii Hnatiuk stole €305 worth of aftershave and perfume valued at €250 from Magees Pharmacy.

Hnatiuk, a 34-year-old, of Cnoc Ard Apartments, Letterkenny, pleaded guilty to the incidents.

The court was informed that in October 2023 Hnatiuk was placed on a probation bond when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham initially adjourned the case from Monday to Thursday to consider the matter.

On Thursday, Judge Cunningham handed Hnatiuk a four-month prison sentence, the entirety of which was suspended for 18 months.

The court heard that Hnatiuk entered Magees Pharmacy on January 18, 2024 and stole aftershave to the value of €305.

On February 3, 2024, Hnatiuk – who has seven previous convictions - stole perfume worth €250, which was also the property of Magees Pharmacy.

Sergeant Maurice Doyle told the court that Hnatiuk was identified by gardai who viewed CCTV footage.

When gardai spoke to Hnatiuk, the two bottles of perfume were recovered and re-salable. The aftershave was not recovered.

Hnatiuk, through an interpreter who was also present in court, pleaded guilty to the charges, which are contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001.

The court was informed that in October 2023 Hnatiuk was placed on a probation bond when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court.

Mr Frank Dorrian, solicitor for Hnatiuk, said his client is originally from Ukraine and came to Ireland via a refugee application.

“This was a crime driven by poverty,” Mr Dorrian said. “The social welfare payment is very low, €204 per week. It is virtually impossible to survive on that kind of money.

“He didn't need or want these items. They were small, high-value items which he believed he could sell in order to make some disposable income.”