Tipperary man who has spent half his life in prison is put on a 'short leash' by judge

A man who has 178 previous convictions told Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court that he had been “in and out of jail for the last 20 years”.

George Hackett, 37, who is currently living in Horse and Jockey but is awaiting a place in a Novas centre, was before the court after he was convicted of a number of offences in Thurles.

The court heard that on January 13, 2023 he entered the Rehab Care Centre, Stradavoher, Thurles, and stole keys belonging to a vehicle parked nearby.

Mr Hackett stole a number of items from the vehicle.

The injured party followed him and retrieved their belongings but the keys were not found.

On the same day, Mr Hackett entered a shed at Croke Gardens, Thurles, and stole clothing.

He was arrested that evening in possession of the stolen clothing, which was identified by the initials of the injured party.

Mr Hackett had a total of 178 previous convictions, 47 of which were for burglary while 18 were recorded as theft offences.

His convictions for the January offences triggered a suspended prison sentence imposed in 2019 that amounted to five years.

Pádraig de Búrca, BL, for Mr Hackett, told the court that his client had a serious drug addiction and openly admitted to abusing heroin and crack cocaine in recent months, as well as prescription medication.

Sgt Baker gave evidence of a burglary perpetrated by Mr Hackett almost 10 years ago, which Judge Catherine Staines later commented on as an “extremely serious offence”.

On April 23, 2014, gardaí were contacted by a woman in Monakeeba, Thurles, who told them she was in bed and had heard an intruder downstairs in her kitchen. Her nine-year-old daughter was in the house with her at the time.

The male intruder, who was in possession of a knife, went upstairs and demanded money from the injured party. He stole €160 from her handbag along with €100 from a jewellery box.

The burglar was subsequently identified as Mr Hackett. He was arrested, charged and in 2015 received a 12-year prison sentence with seven years suspended.

The court heard that he was released in 2019 and reoffended soon afterward, resulting in Mr Hackett having three years of his suspended sentence revoked.

He was released again in 2022 after spending two years and seven months in prison. He was on bail in relation to four separate matters when he reoffended last January.

Mr Hackett told the court that he had been “in and out of jail for the last 20 years”.

He was homeless after his last release from prison and quickly relapsed into addiction.

He had since, however, engaged with Novas in Thurles and he was on a methadone programme.

Currently living with an uncle in Horse and Jockey, he was hoping to move into the Novas premises at Mitchel Street, Thurles.

Mr Hackett said that his ultimate plan was to attend a detox programme at Beaumount Hospital in Dublin, followed by a residential programme at either Coolmine or St Francis Farm.

“I’ve spent half my life in prison,” he told Judge Staines.

“Usually when I come out, it’s straight back into addiction. This is the first time I’ve made the effort and reached out myself in 20 years.”

Mr Hackett said he had been a drug addict since the age of 10.

He had been on a residential treatment programme before but did not complete it.

He had a partner and two children, aged eight and four and they were a key motivation in his determination to get free of addiction.

Mr de Búrca highlighted that the defendant would not have access to the same people he was working with now if he were sent to prison again.

The defendant had also re-engaged with the Probation Service, which was a positive sign.

Judge Staines regarded heroin and crack cocaine as “absolutely appalling addictions that destroy lives”.

She said the top-level distributors that gain from the sale of these drugs created many victims from the crimes that addicts commit.
“Effectively, he was in a revolving door in and out of prison with absolutely nothing being achieved,” Judge Staines remarked of the defendant’s past situation.

“You do seem to be very genuine in your desire to change,” she said.

The judge said she would keep the defendant on a “short leash”.

She put his case back to July 17 for an updated probation report, and a report from Novas.

She also wanted to see progress being made in relation to residential treatment.

“Please take this opportunity,” Mr Hackett, she told him.