An Iranian jewellery thief who went on a six week robbing spree of homes across Ennis has escaped jail.
40 year old Ali Reza Velayati was given a three year suspended sentence by Justice Carroll Moran at Ennis Circuit Court
Velayati of Avondale, Kilrush Rd, Ennis pleaded guilty to stealing €68,990 worth of jewellery and cash in a six-week long spree last year.
During the spree, the 40 year old broke into and stole the jewellery and cash from 23 homes across Ennis between September 19th to November 8th 2008.
An Iranian jewellery thief who went on a six week robbing spree of homes across Ennis has escaped jail.
40 year old Ali Reza Velayati was given a three year suspended sentence by Justice Carroll Moran at Ennis Circuit Court
Velayati of Avondale, Kilrush Rd, Ennis pleaded guilty to stealing €68,990 worth of jewellery and cash in a six-week long spree last year.
During the spree, the 40 year old broke into and stole the jewellery and cash from 23 homes across Ennis between September 19th to November 8th 2008.
Giving evidence Sgt John Cunningham of Ennis Garda Station said Mr Velayati’s modus operandi was to break into homes that were unoccupied and had no alarms.
He would then ransack them and look for jewellery and cash.
The 40 year old was finally caught on the 8th of November after Gardai got reports of a man acting suspiciously on the Gort Road.
Sgt Cunningham said that when interviewed Mr Velayati said he "wouldn’t sell them but would return them". The goods were found in his garage in 23 individual plastic bags – one for each robbery and tthe court heard that Gardai drove him around Ennis where the Iranian pointed out 20 houses that he stole from.
Defence Council told the court Mr Velayati is a Programme Refugee and was imprisoned by the Iranian Government for seven years where he was tortured.
In sentencing, Judge Carroll Moran said the robberies “are a serious offence and a serious invasion of people’s privacy even if the homes were unoccupied at the time”.
However, Judge Moran said that Mr Velayati has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and also noted that the accused suffers from depression.
Judge Moran imposed a suspended three year term.
