Three software engineers have pleaded guilty to stealing more than €3,500 worth of goods during a series of thefts from Ikea in Dublin.
Monnisha Nimma (27), Sai Radhika Kavuri (32), and 34-year-old Sri Ravikiran Garimella, each with an address at Station Walk, Newbridge, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty on Friday to stealing from the furniture chain’s Ballymun outlet on three dates in January.
Det Garda Anthony Galbraith told Judge Patricia Cronin at Dublin District Court that on January 11th, 18th and 25th, the two female defendants and Mr Garimella, and two others who have not been identified, “took a large quantity of materials and failed to pay for same”.
They left the store on two occasions with €1,350 worth of property, and goods valued at €852 on a third occasion.
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Following inquiries, the detective went to the software engineers’ shared home on February 16th and searched the property, recovering a significant portion of stolen goods. One person was arrested and made full admissions.
Det Garda Galbraith said the other two later came to Ballymun station with more stolen items.
The detective said most of the property, valued at €3,526, was recovered in saleable condition. He added the accused were co-operative, and “held their hands up and made admissions”, which, he said, was unusual.
Judge Cronin noted the three defendants had no prior convictions and had never come to Garda attention before.
The court heard that, but for the quantity of goods involved, the three housemates could have been eligible for an adult caution instead of a court prosecution.
Their solicitor, Carol Slattery, said her well-educated clients were from India and had come to Ireland about five years ago. The court heard the defendants, who are on bail, had work visas and were full-time software engineers.
Ms Slattery described them as young and ambitious with good future job prospects, and who wished to become Irish citizens, and this case could have a severe impact on that.
The solicitor said they realised the seriousness of their situation and the consequences they faced, and that they were apologetic and would take any opportunity to rectify this wrong.
Ms Slattery said her clients had no reasonable explanation other than “foolishness of the highest order”.
The solicitor submitted that they were unlikely to reoffend and pleaded with Judge Cronin to consider a restorative justice approach, given their lack of previous convictions, guilty pleas and co-operation.
The detective confirmed he had already discussed this idea with Ikea. The firm was agreeable to participating, having previously engaged in the restorative justice process in similar prosecutions.
Judge Cronin remarked that this was helpful because few victims wish to be involved.
She adjourned the case until July for a probation report on their suitability for inclusion in the programme, which, if completed, can spare first-time offenders a criminal conviction.
