Parents sent phone thief son back to Nigeria
A student who stole mobile phones from six girls’ handbags in nightclubs was sent back to Nigeria by his parents for a while so that he would come to appreciate the advantages he had been enjoying while growing up here in Ireland.
Moses Akanni (20), was living in Fearann Rí, Doughiska with his parents when he stole the mobile phones over a three-week period in April 2016 from six unsuspecting victims.
Garda Pat Foley carried out an investigation at the time following a series of mobile phone thefts from city nightclubs and it led him to Akanni’s home in Fearann Rí, which he searched under warrant in May 2016.
He found six phones in Akanni’s bedroom. Akanni was not present at the time but he later came to the Garda Station and made full admissions.
He said he had used distraction techniques to steal the phones from girls’ handbags.
The high-end phones were later returned to their owners.
Judge Mary Fahy commended Garda Foley for his successful investigation.
She said Akanni had shown no empathy for people his own age.
She said it was “nasty” as it targeted young women who needed their phones for security as much as for social reasons.
Defence solicitor, Sean Acton, said Akanni’s parents were Christian people who were shocked and disgusted when they heard what their son had done.
“He had been getting a college grant here at the time. They were shocked and disgusted and they sent him back home [to Nigeria] to make him realise what benefits and advantages he had in Ireland,” he said.
Mr Acton said Akanni had been studying computer and electronic engineering in GMIT at the time of the offence but the family had since moved to Dundalk and he was now studying in Dundalk IT.
Judge Fahy noted a bench warrant had to be issued for Akanni when he failed to show up in court last year. It had been executed a month ago and he was given bail to show up in court this week, which he did.
The judge said she wanted Akanni to pay €100 to each of the six victims for the inconvenience he had caused them at the time.
He grumbled about having to pay compensation, saying he was a full-time student and he could not get part-time work.
“I’m asking the court to adjourn it for two months to give him time to ‘divvy up’,” Mr Acton said.
“I’d like to see him divvy up too and I want him to bring €600 to court the next day,” Judge Fahy replied.
She adjourned finalisation of sentence to July 9 and directed Akanni be assessed in the meantime by the Probation Service for suitability to carry out community service in lieu of a prison sentence.
She asked Garda Foley to liaise with Gardaí in Dundalk and get a Garda behaviour report on Akanni for the court by July 9.