Court hears Limerick man who stole whiskey and wine is now sober in prison

Derek Lynch came before Limerick District Court for two charges of theft from Aldi

Published 22nd May 2026, 06:55 BST Updated 22nd May 2026, 09:59 BST FILE IMAGE Derek Lynch came before Limerick District Court for two charges of theft from Aldi Sign up to our Limerick Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Limerick Live within your account.

A MAN has been imprisoned for stealing a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of wine from Aldi in Limerick city.

Derek Lynch 36, of Ashfield, Meelick, Clare, stole a bottle of whiskey with a value of €22 from Aldi on Roche’s Street on January 8, 2026.

The man then returned to the supermarket and stole a bottle of wine three days later on January 11, 2026.

Prosecuting Sergeant Aisling O’Neill detailed in her evidence that Mr Lynch was captured on CCTV, and that the alcohol was not recovered.

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Sgt O’Neill informed Limerick District Court that Mr Lynch has 115 previous convictions, including 28 previous thefts, one robbery, seven burglaries, two for the possession of knives, 13 for criminal damage, one count of making a threat to kill or cause serious harm, 15 section six public order offences, as well as a number of road traffic offences.

Solicitor John Herbert, representing Mr Lynch, said in mitigation that Mr Lynch suffers from alcoholism, and has spent the last few months in custody.

The solicitor said that his client is doing well in prison and that he obviously isn’t drinking at the moment.

Mr Herbert further detailed that Mr Lynch was in a relationship for some years, and his child is in the care of his mother. This situation, the solicitor said, is “deeply upsetting” for Mr Lynch.

Judge Patricia Harney considered the case, and stated that she gives Mr Lynch credit for his early plea.

The judge proceeded to convict and sentence Mr Lynch to a total of two weeks' imprisonment for each count of theft.

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