AN occasional drug user who broke into a Donabate pub and stole stock to the value of € 32,000 as well as causing damage estimated at € 34,000 has been jailed for two years.

Ronan Moore (33) carried out the burglary with an accomplice and gardaí later recovered 22 boxes of cigarettes, assorted coins worth about € 500, and 47 cans of Bulmers from his home. Moore, with an address at Turvey Drive, Donabate, pleaded guilty to burglary at Keelings pub on June 23rd, 2008. Judge Katherine Delahunt told Moore his behaviour had cost the pub owners in the region of € 66,000 with only a small amount of the stock and cash recovered.

She imposed a twoyear prison sentence. Garda John Carey told Mr Remy Farrell BL, prosecuting, that Moore and an accomplice were captured on CCTV 'scoping out' the pub in the early hours of the morning and returning just before 4am in a car He said they drove into a building site beside the pub and gained entry to the beer garden over the adjoining wall by climbing on building equipment before forcing open the pub doors. Gda Carey said items to the value of € 32,196 were taken.

These included the contents of two cigarette machines, five televisions, a cash register and alcohol. He said the estimated repair value of the damage to the premises was € 34,000 including damage to security equipment and the cigarette machines. Gda Carey said the pair were in the pub for about an hour and a half and during that time Moore cut himself on broken glass.

They pulled their vehicle into the pub car park to load up the goods. Gardaí viewed the CCTV from the scene and later arrested Moore who has 67 previous convictions. He admitted the burglary and he gave a DNA sample which matched blood found at the scene. Garda Carey agreed with Mr John Fitzgerald BL, defending, that Moore said he needed to pay a drugs bill for heroin and cocaine.

Mr Fitzgerald said Moore had gone to Liverpool after he was charged with this offence after being offered scaffolding work and used this as a means to escape his drug .associations in Dublin. He said he was partially successful but still occasionally dabbles in drugs.

He said the father of two was in a longterm relationship and despite his drug addiction had managed to maintain employment until just before Christmas when he was let go.