[2001.] Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001. [No. 50.] is liable to be dealt with, tried and punished as if he or she had not Pt.8 S.54 been or was not a member of the partnership or one of such beneficial owners. (4) If on the trial of a person for stealing any property it appears that the property alleged to have been stolen at one time was taken at different times, the separate takings may, unless the trial judge directs otherwise, be tried together, to a number not exceeding 3, provided that not more than 6 months elapsed between the first and the last of the takings. (5) Charges of stealing, handling or possessing any property or any part thereof may be included in separate counts of the same indictment and such counts may be tried together. (6) Any person or persons charged in separate counts of the same indictment with stealing any property or any part thereof may be severally found guilty of stealing, handling or possessing the property or any part thereof. (7) On the trial of two or more persons indicted for jointly handling or possessing any stolen property the court or jury, as the case may be, may find any of the accused guilty if satisfied that he or she handled or possessed all or any part of such property, whether or not he or she did so jointly with the other accused or any of them. 55.—(1) If, on the trial of a person for theft or for unlawfully obtaining property otherwise, it is proved that the person handled or possessed the property in such circumstances as to constitute an offence under section 17 or 18, he or she may be convicted of that offence. Alternative verdicts. (2) If, on the trial of a person for an offence under section 17 or 18 of handling or possessing stolen or otherwise unlawfully obtained property, it is proved that the person stole or otherwise unlawfully obtained the property, he or she may be convicted of the theft of the property or of the offence consisting of unlawfully obtaining the property. 56.—(1) Where property has been stolen and either— (a) a person is convicted of an offence with reference to the theft (whether or not the stealing is the essential ingredient of the offence), or (b) a person is convicted of any other offence but the first-mentioned offence is taken into consideration in determining his or her sentence, the court by or before which the person is convicted may on the conviction (whether or not the passing of sentence is in other respects deferred)— (i) order anyone having possession or control of the property to restore it to any person entitled to recover it from the convicted person, (ii) on the application of a person entitled to recover from the convicted person any other property directly or indirectly representing the first-mentioned property (as being the proceeds of any disposal or realisation of the whole or 41 Orders for restitution.