Man who ‘made away’ with Kilkenny hotel trolley in ‘last chance saloon’ court told
Kilkenny District Court heard about incident on Castlecomer Road that gardaí were called to
A man found with a hotel hospitality trolley on the Castlecomer Road has been given a suspended prison sentence for burglary from Kilkenny District Court.
Johnathan Breslin Mates, 5 The Mews, Rockshire Road, Ferrybank, Waterford, had pleaded guilty to charges of burglary, theft and a public order offence.
Inspector Barry Smith told the court that on June 24, 2025, gardaí received a report of an intoxicated male walking around the car park of the Newpark Hotel.
Gardaí went to the area and discovered Mr Mates on the Castlecomer Road. He was intoxicated and arrested for his own safety.
Nearby, gardaí found a hotel catering/ hospitality trolley that Mr Mates had taken from the Newpark Hotel.
He was later searched, at Kilkenny Garda Station, and found in possession of a watch that had been taken.
Solicitor Alexander Rafter handed a letter of apology from his client into court.
On this night, Mr Mates went into the hotel looking for a phone charger, he saw the trolley and ‘made away with it’.
Mr Mates is someone who has had a benzodiazepine addiction since 2019, the solicitor said. Mr Rafter said his client is now doing well and engaging with substance misuse services.
Mr Mates has had a couple of relapses in recent years, the solicitor added.
On this occasion Mr Mates doesn’t really remember what happened, Mr Rafter said, he was completely intoxicated. It was an opportunistic crime.
‘He knows he’s in the last chance saloon,’ Mr Rafter said of his client.
Judge Geraldine Carthy convicted Mr Mates of burglary and imposed a prison sentence of 10 months, to be suspended for 12 months on conditions Mr Mates engage with the Probation Service and attend any therapeutic appointments offered.
The charges of being intoxicated in public and with being in possession of stolen property were taken into consideration.