Belfast: Man jailed over £8k designer clothing theft
- Published
The 46-year-old stole items including 47 pairs of Hugo Boss jeans and eight Ralph Lauren jumpers in a three-day spree
A Belfast man has been jailed for eight months for stealing over £8,000 worth of designer clothing to pay off a drug debt.
James Patrick Thomas McClenaghan, of Stanfield Row, admitted four counts of theft at Belfast Crown Court on Friday.
He will spend a further eight months on licence upon his release.
The 46-year-old stole items including 47 pairs of Hugo Boss jeans and eight Ralph Lauren jumpers in a three-day spree.
The court heard that on 8 November 2022, McClenaghan went into JD Sports in Victoria Square, Belfast, and stole £400 worth of Lacoste trousers.
The same day he went into House of Fraser at the complex and stole seven pairs of Hugo Boss jeans, eight Ralph Lauren jumpers and two Ralph Lauren tops to the value of £2,639.
He returned to House of Fraser store on 11 November and stole 12 pairs of Hugo Boss jeans worth £1,308.
The following day he stole 28 pairs of Hugo Boss jeans to the value of £3,892.
The prosecution outlined that on each occasion the defendant placed the stolen items in plastic bags before leaving the shops.
Court heard that out of £8,239 worth of goods stolen, only £400 worth had since been recovered.
'Catalyst'
A defence barrister said the "catalyst'' for McClenaghan's offending was the break down of a 20-year relationship.
"He had great difficulty in coming to terms with that break down and descended into drugs and alcohol which landed him with a significant debt,'' he explained.
The barrister added his sisters paid that debt and he had "been under considerable pressure" to commit the thefts.
He added the court could "take comfort" as a gap in offending prior to these thefts showed McClenaghan was "capable of staying out of trouble".
Judge Peter Irvine KC described McClenaghan's criminal record as "dreadful'' and littered with dishonesty offences.
He added the Probation Service assessed him as a high likelihood of reoffending in the future.
"There are clearly a number of aggravating factors: there were multiple thefts over a period of three days; the value of the property taken which exceeds some £8,000 and these items were not for your own personal use but for onward sale or onward transportation to other persons," said Judge Irvine.