A man who broke into five different churches as well as parochial houses and pastoral centres across Co Donegal has been jailed for a year.
Nathan Coughlan pleaded guilty to a range of theft charges at hotels, supermarkets, service stations and churches when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court.
The father-of-three, who has 123 previous convictions as far back as 2014, told Gardai when charged “Sorry, I have a drug problem.”
The 28-year-old sat in court as Detective Garda Cathal Feely read out a list of old and new charges against Coughlan going back as far as 2019.
Coughlan, with an address at Silverhill, Bundoran, Co Donegal , has been in custody for a month.He is charged with a number of charges of theft and criminal damage at various churches and parochial houses across Donegal on a number of dates.
He is charged with burglary at St Mary’s Church in Bocan, Culdaff on June 18th, 2023 when he forced his way into the church sacristy and took keys to a safe before stealing €800 which was never recovered.
He is also charged with stealing €300 from donation boxes at Star of the Sea Church in Bundoran on June 14th, 2024 and again, the stolen money was never recovered.
On June 13th, 2024, Coughlan attempted to gain entry to Raphoe Pastoral Centre and damaged a door but failed to gain entry.
Coughlan also admitted to entering the parish hall of St Mary’s Church in Stranorlar on July 13th this year and stole a key. The following day he entered the church and was captured on CCTV stealing a computer hard-drive which was later thrown into the nearby River Finn but which was found by Detective Feely. On the same date he broke into St Mary’s Parochial House and stole €25 in cash by climbing through a window.
He is also charged that on December 8th, 2019, he was filmed on CCTV entering St Colman’s Church in Claremorris, Co Mayo and damaged a St Vincent de Paul donation box worth €50 and stole €5.
Coughlan is also charged with a range of offences at various petrol stations and shops across Donegal on a variety of dates.
He is charged with stealing a 70cl bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey, worth €40, from McCormack’s Service Station in Leitrim on May 28, 2024 and smashing another by letting it fall on the floor.
He is also charged with the criminal damage of a potted plant at Letterkenny University Hospital on July 15, 2024. This happened when he smashed the plant pot over his head and tried to damage himself with it.
He is further charged with stealing clothing worth €41 from Dunnes Stores in Letterkenny on March 24, 2024 which were never recovered.
On July 14th this year, he entered LIDL in Ballybofey and asked to use the staff toilets. However, he entered a staff room through secure doors and stole a variety of bank cards, driving licenses and other property including a LIDL uniform top.
He is also charged with the theft of a bank card from a person at Thorndale, Letterkenny on June 3rd, 2024 and then using the card to book into Dillon’s Hotel in Letterkenny and ran up a bill of €451.25 on accommodation, food and drink.
At the Spar Filling Station in Bundoran on June 14th, 20023, this card was used again to steal groceries.
In an impassioned plea on behalf of his client, solicitor Rory O’Brien said Coughlan made admissions to all charges.
He said his client had historical issues which he was exposed to at a very young age and began drinking but had since graduated to cocaine and had become an addict.
He added that the reality was that not many members of the Gardai in Donegal did not know Mr Coughlan and that he never tried to conceal his identity while committing the various offences.
This was because they were committed in the throes of addiction.
Mr O’Brien said that since going into custody, his client has sought the necessary treatment but that he is being ignored in prison “perhaps because of the nature of the offences.”
He added that all he can do now is to wait in prison and wait to avail of the treatment services but that it is a real concern for him that he has not received any treatment.
Mr O’Brien said his client apologised to all of his victims and that he still hopes to reunite with his partner and children.
He added that his client is not beyond redemption adding “He is still hoping to become a better version of himself.”
The accused man took to the witness box and said he wanted to apologise to all of his victims.
He said “I know it’s wrong but it’s just the addiction. I should never have been doing these things but when you are on a high…
“Thank God I never went as far as harming someone. My life for the past two years has been drink and drugs and I have been trying to get treatment. My head was just all over the place.
“I’m hoping that if I get treatment and that’s my main focus then I can take my life back and then sometime down the line I can get my family back. I was a good father and perhaps down the line ….”
Judge Ciran Liddy sentenced Coughlan to 12 months in prison for the robbery at the LIDL store in Ballybofey on July 14th, 12 months in prison for the burglary at St Mary’s Church in Stranorlar and 12 months in prison for the burglary at St Mary’s Church in Bocan, Culdaff with all sentences to run concurrently.
He took all other charges into consideration and backdated the sentence to when Coughlan went into custody.