Courts / Kildare / Report

Man accused of illegally having antique books told gardai he "can't read too well"

Summary

Andrew Shannon, 51, was accused of illegally handling 67 antique books that had disappeared from Carton House's library during a restoration. The books, including a rare 1660 King James Bible, were found in his home during a March 2007 search. Shannon pleaded not guilty to possession of stolen property, claiming he had bought the books for decoration at a market fair for €300 and that they were of no real value. He told Gardaí he "can't read too well" when asked to identify his signature on a list of seized books. The court heard that the books were valued at about €6,000 in 2006, with a defence expert estimating £3,000. The case is pending before Judge Petria O'Donnell and a jury.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man accused of illegally having antique books told gardai he "can't read too well". Charges or matters: possession of the books at his home while knowing or being reckless as to whether they were stolen on March 3, 2007. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• March 3, 2007 Incident
• March 2007 Other
• 2016-01-28 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Theft

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Read the original CNI report