Theft charge against former rugby international Brendan Mullin adjourned until September

Former rugby international Brendan Mullin, who has been charged with stealing a bottle of perfume from Brown Thomas on Grafton Street, Dublin, had his case adjourned until September when it came before the District Court in Dublin on Tuesday.The 62-year-old former rugby star, who won 55 caps for Ireland between 1984 and 1995 before going on to work in financial services, had his case put back to September 29th, when he is to enter a plea or have a date set for his trial if he seeks to contest the charge.Mullin, of Albert Lodge, Stillorgan Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, is accused of the theft of a bottle of Hermès perfume worth €158 from the Dublin department store on May 15th.When his case came before Judge Treasa Kelly, the accused’s solicitor, John O’Doherty, said that since a previous hearing in June he had been given a precis of the evidence in the case and CCTV footage, but no statements.READ MOREThe judge queried whether statements were needed as she had accepted jurisdiction to deal with the charge, under Section 4 of the Theft and Fraud Act, on a summary basis (ie at the lower District Court level rather than on indictment at Circuit Criminal Court level, which has wider sentencing powers).However, O’Doherty said it was an indictable matter and he was particularly interested in seeing any statement that might have been taken from “the sales lady in the perfume section in Brown Thomas.”The judge remanded Mullin on continuing bail and put the matter back to the date in September.The former rugby star, who was in court dressed in a light blue shirt and dark pants, did not speak during the short hearing.