Saturday 31 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 20447Possession of stolen property; possession of false registration plate · Co. Louth · 23 May 2022

Man jailed for possessing stolen BMW with false plates at Dundalk Circuit Court

Evaldas Petrauskas, a 34-year-old Lithuanian man, pleaded guilty to possessing stolen property and possessing a false registration plate after a BMW 730 stolen in a burglary at a holiday home in Castletownbere, County Cork, was found in Seatown, Dundalk. The car was stolen in the early hours of May 22, 2022, and the offences took place at Seatown, Dundalk, on May 23, 2022. Gardaí tracked the car to Dundalk the same day, and Petrauskas told gardaí he was paid €500 to collect the car and fit the plates but did not identify the person involved. He was sentenced at Dundalk Circuit Court, with reports giving either one year and nine months or two years and three months with the final six months suspended, backdated to February 25th, as reported on July 5, 2023.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced5 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
Evaldas Petrauskas pleaded guilty to possessing stolen property and possessing a false registration plate.
Cause
The BMW 730 was stolen during a burglary at a holiday home in County Cork.
When
  • The car was stolen in Castletownbere in the early hours of May 22, 2022.
  • The offences took place on May 23, 2022.
Where
The offences took place at Seatown, Dundalk, County Louth.
Investigation
  • The car was tracked to Dundalk the same day using its onboard GPS, CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems.
  • When gardaí found the car in Seatown it had a British-registered plate, and it was seized for technical examination.
  • CCTV showed Petrauskas driving the car at five locations in Dundalk.
Other details
  • Petrauskas told gardaí he was paid €500 to collect the car and fit the new plates but did not identify the person involved.
  • Petrauskas had 59 previous convictions, 42 of them from outside the jurisdiction.
In court
Petrauskas was sentenced at Dundalk Circuit Court, and Judge Dara Hayes imposed concurrent sentences.
Sentence
  • Reports give the sentence as one year and nine months in the lead, while the body gives two years and three months with the final six months suspended on his own bond to keep the peace for 12 months.
  • The sentence was backdated to February 25th.
13 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatPetrauskas pleaded guilty to possessing stolen property and possessing a false registration plate. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe BMW had been stolen during a burglary at a holiday home in County Cork. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whereThe offences took place at Seatown, Dundalk. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whenThe offences took place on May 23rd of the previous year. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whenThe car, a BMW 730, was stolen in Castletownbere in the early hours of May 22nd of the previous year. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • investigationThe car was tracked to Dundalk the same day using its onboard GPS, CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • investigationWhen gardaí found the car in Seatown it had a British-registered plate, and it was seized for technical examination. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • investigationCCTV showed the defendant driving the car at five locations in Dundalk. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceHe was jailed at Dundalk Circuit Court for a year and nine months. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceJudge Dara Hayes imposed concurrent sentences of two years and three months, with the final six months suspended on his own bond to keep the peace for 12 months. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceThe sentence was backdated to February 25th. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • otherPetrauskas told gardaí he was paid €500 to collect the car and fit the new plates, but did not identify the person involved. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • otherPetrauskas had 59 previous convictions, 42 of them from outside the jurisdiction. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 5 Jul2023
    Sentenceddundalkdemocrat.ie, first report
    Dundalk court: Jailed for possession of stolen BMW

    Covers the sentencing of Evaldas Petrauskas for possessing a BMW stolen in Co Cork and fitting it with false plates in Dundalk. It is a separate incident from existing case 20245, which concerns bike thefts, dangerous driving and a burglary in Louth. The article gives the jail term as a year and nine months in its lead but as two years and three months in the body, and says the sentence was backdated to February 25th.

    convicted, Evaldas Petrauskas, 34, male, Lithuanian, named, non-irishEvaldas Petrauskas