Man jailed for mobile phone theft

He was Rodrigo Manual Ferreiro Mendes, Derry Street, Lurgan, and he admitted the theft of an iPhone, valued at £600, on November 11 last year.

The court heard that the defendant and another person went into a shop in Charles Street, Lurgan, and Mendes took a phone, which had been left in for repairs, and put it in his coat pocket.

When interviewed he said he had stolen the phone on the instigation of the other person.

The court was told that the owner of the phone was very distressed because it contained pictures of her child. It had not been recovered.

A solicitor for Mendes said he was a volatile young man who tended to fly off the handle. He stole the phone for the benefit of his friend who needed to give it to a third party.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said one of his concerns was the defendant’s attitude to probation staff. He had failed to arrive at the time arranged and arrived two and a half hours later demanding to be seen while acting in an aggressive manner.

Judge Bates added that Mendes had been given another opportunity with probation but refused the opportunity to be assessed.

“The defendant has shot himself in the foot as a result of his behaviour,” he said.

Mendes was sentenced to four months in prison for the theft and two months of a suspended sentence were also put into operation to run consecutively making a total of six months in custody.

Mendes was released on his own bail of £400 to appeal against the sentence.