‘nuisance’ | 

Grandad who stole hundreds of euro worth of jewellery using theft as ‘full-time job’, says judge

Jason Kelly (52) already had 147 previous convictions when he admitted a series of theft charges at Dublin District Court.

Andrew Phelan

Today at 06:28

​A grandfather who stole hundreds of euro worth of jewellery and clothes from city centre shops in Dublin was a “nuisance” whose “full-time occupation” was stealing, a judge said.

Jason Kelly (52) already had 147 previous convictions when he admitted a series of theft charges at Dublin District Court.

Judge Gerard Jones jailed him for 10 months.

The court heard that Kelly stole €800 worth of jewellery from Swarovski on Henry Street on a date in August 2022, and €138 worth on another date in July last year.

Kelly went to a business at Temple Bar Lane on July 16 this year and took a mobile phone belonging to a staff member.

He was later identified on CCTV.

He stole €137 worth of clothing from Next on Henry Street on January 6 this year, and clothes worth €29 from Penneys, Mary Street, on April 24.

Kelly, a father-of-three of Lower Oriel Street, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to all charges.

The majority of his previous convictions were for theft.

He was in custody on remand when he appeared in court.

Kelly was on disability benefit and “not in great health,” his solicitor Yvonne Bambury said.

“He’s a nuisance, this man,” Judge Jones said.

“His full-time occupation is to go around stealing as far as I can see.”