A MAN who stole a person’s boat engine in Gwynedd has been spared jail but ordered to pay more than £3,500 in costs.

Raymond Deignan, 39, of Barcicroft Road, Manchester, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for one year, at Caernarfon Crown Court today (April 24).

He had previously been convicted after trial of theft from another person.

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Prosecuting, Alexa Carrier told the court that Deignan stole the Yamaha 25HP two-stroke, twin cylinder, short shaft boat engine from Adam Jenkins at Shell Island, Llanbedr on August 30, 2021.

Mr Jenkins had bought the boat engine for £750 approximately five years prior to this.

It has still not been recovered since it was stolen, Ms Carrier said.

Following his arrest, Deignan gave no comment when interviewed by police.

He had one previous conviction for an offence of battery.

Defending Deignan, Richard Edwards said his “life simply fell apart” after he was convicted of this offence.

He had been employed by British Gas as an engineer for 24 years, but lost that job as a result of this conviction.

But Mr Edwards said there has “clearly been an about-turn” since then, with Deignan having secured a new job with engineering company WPI Group.

“He’s doing all that he can to put himself back on track to recover from the effects of this incident,” Mr Edwards added.

“It’s something he wants to put behind him, and he’s making good strides in doing that.”

Sentencing, Recorder Wyn Lloyd-Jones told Deignan that he had displayed “no remorse or victim empathy”.

The theft was “clearly done for profit,” he added to him, but also acknowledged that “people clearly think a great deal of you, and there are clearly positive features to your character”.

Recorder Lloyd-Jones ordered Deignan to carry out 150 hours' unpaid work, and pay costs of £3,600.

These costs were split between £750 in compensation to Mr Jenkins, and £2,850 to the prosecution.