An Irish mechanic has been convicted and fired from his job of 14 years for stealing 100 liters of diesel from his employer.
A former Dublin Bus mechanic has admitted to stealing diesel fuel in court. Daniel Byrne admitted stealing 100 litres of diesel from his former workplace.
The theft occurred directly from one of the company's buses, which was parked at a depot on Conyngham Road in Dublin.
The stolen amount of diesel has a value of 1,095 Danish kroner, converted into Danish currency. The theft was committed on July 5th last year.
This is reported by the Irish Mirror .
Daniel Byrne, 34, a resident of Dublin, had a long career with the bus company. He worked as a mechanic for Dublin Bus for 14 years before the theft was discovered.
It took an investigation, initiated by the company itself, to discover the theft. The results led the bus company to hire a private investigation firm.
The investigators chose to install hidden cameras around the depot. The cameras were in operation from July 4 to 11 last year.
Hidden cameras caught the mechanic
The footage from the hidden cameras became the conclusive evidence in the case against the former mechanic. Detective Inspector Marc Kelly explained in court how the cameras had caught Daniel Bryne while he was sucking the diesel from the bus and into his own private car.
The case against Daniel Byrne was heard at Dublin City Court, which is ironically located opposite the Dublin Bus depot on Conyngham Road, where the theft took place.
Byrne's defense attorney, Patrick McGarry, emphasized during the trial that his client had no prior convictions. However, the defense admitted that the theft "was a stupid act."
The lawyer also said that Byrne had lost his job at Dublin Bus as a result of the case. He is now looking for another job.
Another man charged with diesel theft
Judge Treasa Kelly stressed the seriousness of the case, pointing out that it was not just about the theft of the fuel, but also about the serious breach of trust.
However, the judge decided to postpone the final verdict until July 1 of this year (2025). Before then, a report must be prepared, which will count towards the final verdict.
The case of Daniel Byrne is not the only one of its kind from the depot in question. Another man has also been charged with diesel theft from the same Dublin Bus depot.
The man in question is 30-year-old Eugene Nolan from Portarlington in Co Laois. He is currently unemployed, but it is not known whether this is due to a layoff.
Nolan is charged with three separate counts of diesel theft. Authorities believe he stole at least 1,400 Danish kroner worth of diesel on multiple occasions.
The total value of the stolen diesel in Nolan's case amounts to approximately 5,750 Danish kroner.
Theft of fuel and equipment is unfortunately a known problem. At Boosted.dk you can read more about how fuel theft has also affected private drivers who have come out to cars with nothing in the tank.
