Theft victim set up own sting operation in case of stolen bale wrappers

A STING operation mounted in a Tuam forecourt, a multi-million Euro business run without a computer, question marks over receipts, cash transactions and tax returns and a mysterious break-in resulting in the disappearance of important files all featured in the case of the stolen bale wrappers which perplexed and finally defeated Judge Geoffrey Browne when it came before Tuam Court. Judge Browne said it was the strangest case he had heard in a long time. He couldnâ€â„¢t understand how people did deals for thousands of euro but neither gave nor asked for receipts. He wondered if those involved ever heard of keeping records and paying taxes. Before him at Tuam District Court was David Wolfe of Cloonkeely, Headford charged in connection with the sale of stolen plastic bale wrappers. He pleaded that he had purchased the material in good faith and put the blame on his supplier, a border businessman, Tom Cassidy. Wolfe was traced via a sting operation in Tuam mounted by the legal owner of the goods. Neither Wolfe nor Cassidy produced receipts or documentation to back up their versions of events. Judge Browne asked Wolfe if he filled in tax returns and put his business dealings through his books as was normal? Wolfe said he did. Appeared shocked, says Garda Brick[private] Sligo agricultural contractor Philip Martin Jnr told the Court that a large quantity of baler wrapper, valued at approximately €35,000, was stolen from his family business yard on June 12, 2011. Some time later he saw an ad on DoneDeal offering similar items for sale at the very reasonable price of €65. He contacted the seller, David Wolfe, and arranged to meet him at the Texaco forecourt on Galway Road, Tuam. There he purchased four bundles for €65 each from Wolfe. He then contacted the manufacturer and checked the batch numbers and discovered the items were part of the consignment stolen from his yard. He put the matter in the hands of the Gardai in Riverstown, Co Sligo. He also passed on the registration number of David Wolfeâ€â„¢s jeep and Gardai identified him from this. Garda Peadar Brick gave evidence of meeting Wolfe in the Claran area and informing him that the wraps he was selling were stolen. He said he appeared shocked by this news. He returned to his family farm with Garda Brick where he showed him the rest of the wraps and a trailer he had purchased from the same source, Tom Cassidy. The Court heard Wolfe had been put in contact with Cassidy and purchased agricultural items from him for his business on a number of occasions. He met him in Frenchpark, Roscommon where he collected the trailer and a number of rolls of wrapper from Cassidy. He paid €65 each for 30 rolls and €2,000 for the trailer, in cash. Wolfe claimed he purchased the rolls from businessman Cassidy in good faith. However, he paid cash for them and didnâ€â„¢t ask for a receipt. Cassidy in evidence said that he sourced the rolls from a Northern dealer who is now un-contactable. Wolfe said he only asked for what he paid on DoneDeal because he just wanted to get his money back. Of Wolfeâ€â„¢s 30 rolls he sold some in Kilconly, four more in the Tuam sting operation and the remaining 12 were seized by Gardai from his land. He said he was a law-abiding person and would have no more dealings with Cassidy. Cassidy said he didnâ€â„¢t deal in green plastic because there was no demand for it and that the rolls found in Wolfeâ€â„¢s possession where not supplied by him. He also denied Wolfe had ever contacted him to accuse him of selling stolen rolls. €15-18 turnover but no computer Tony Oâ€â„¢Doherty solr (defending) pleaded that his client, Wolfe, purchased the items in good faith and was upset to discover they had been stolen. He challenged Tom Cassidyâ€â„¢s version of events, demanding to know why he had no documentary evidence of his dealings with his client. Mr Cassidy said he suffered a major burglary at his place of business and his paperwork was in disarray. Mr Doherty inquired if he had computer records and expressed amazement when he was told that the €15-18 million annual turnover business run by Cassidy only maintained paper records and there wasnâ€â„¢t a single computer in his company. â€Å“I prefer the old ways,â€Â Cassidy told the Court. Mr Cassidy said he lived on the border all his life. He had an agricultural business in the North and a petrol business on the other side of the border in the South. Mr Doherty said when his client rang Cassidy to complain over being supplied stolen goods, Cassidy denied all knowledge of them, but later agreed to reimburse him. He also challenged the assertion made that his client had purchased rolls to the value of €40,000, stating that Wolfe didnâ€â„¢t have this sort of money to shell out. Judge Browne asked why Wolfe didnâ€â„¢t take legal recourse to get him his money back from his supplier. He added that the whole matter was very strange. â€Å“Thereâ€â„¢s something wrong someplace,â€Â he added. Mr Doherty argued that his client could only be found guilty if he believed the goods were stolen. â€Å“He may be guilty of being too trusting but thatâ€â„¢s not a criminal offence,â€Â he added. Garda Peadar Brick who investigated the matter, said he was satisfied from his dealings with the defendant that he had no knowledge of the items being stolen. He added that the Wolfe family were highly respected in the Headford area and the defendant had co-operated fully with the investigation. The Judge said it was a strange case and came down to the word of two individuals, Mr Wolfe and Mr Cassidy. He had a doubt and had to give the benefit of the doubt to the defendant, and dismissed the case against Wolfe. [/private]