Victoria Square Shopping Centre
A man accused of stealing T-shirts priced at over £500 each from a luxury retailer in Belfast claims a brain injury has left him with no memory of one alleged theft, the High Court heard today.
Peter McDonagh, 30, is also pinning all of the blame for a second raid on Flannels last month on his teenage female co-defendant.
McDonagh, from the Republic of Ireland but with an address at Hillhead Cottages in Toomebridge, has been charged with two counts of theft.
He allegedly stole a £575 Dolce & Gabbana T-shirt from the clothes store at Victoria Square on January 6.
Prosecutors claimed McDonagh returned to the shop on January 26, selected another four T-shirts with a total value of £2,005 and put them in a bag carried by his accomplice.
He was detained by security staff at the scene and taken to a nearby police station.
Meanwhile, his alleged accomplice was contacted and agreed to hand back the four garments.
The 19-year-old woman, who travelled up from Dublin to carry out the theft, pleaded guilty last week at Belfast Magistrates’ Court and received a conditional discharge.
As McDonagh applied for bail today, the prosecution confirmed that the single £575 T-shirt stolen on January 6 has not been recovered.
“He stated that he couldn’t remember anything (about it) as he has a bad memory due to a brain injury,” Crown counsel said.
The court heard McDonagh claims he was wrongly arrested for the second theft carried out by his female co-accused.
“He’s saying ‘prove I had anything to do with it,” Mr Justice O’Hara observed.
Citing allegations that he was recognised on security cameras, the judge added: “It’s hardly surprising Flannels have CCTV given the cost of the T-shirts.”
McDonagh was granted bail to live at an agreed address in Co Down.
Mr Justice O’Hara ordered him to lodge a £1,000 cash surety and banned him from being in Belfast except for court appearances.
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