Courts / Tipperary / Report

"Not very clever criminal" repeatedly broke in to same house

Date
2018-01-15

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Roscrea

Summary

Christopher McCarthy, 29, a homeless traveller with a long history of alcohol problems and 133 prior convictions, had previously pleaded guilty to criminal damage and obstruction of a Garda at Mr Cole's home in Roscrea and was sentenced to five years in prison. He had broken into the same home twice in May 2013. In June 2016 he successfully appealed and received a three‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on the condition that he stay away from Mr Cole and certain streets in Roscrea. In April he entered Mr Cole's home again, hiding behind a cardboard box, and was found by Gardaí. The Court of Appeal, after reviewing the breach, activated the suspended 12‑month sentence in full, back‑dated to 20 October, the expiry date of an earlier eight‑month District Court sentence for trespass.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "Not very clever criminal" repeatedly broke in to same house. Charges or matters: criminal damage and obstruction of a garda at the home of a Mr Cole, Grove Villas in Roscrea and was jailed for five years. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

May 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
June 2016 Other
October 20 Incident
2018-01-15 Publication

Case subjects

Christopher McCarthy

Appellant

Charges: criminal damage and obstruction of a garda at the home of a Mr Cole, Grove Villas in Roscrea and was jailed for five years (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: McCarthy successfully appealed his sentence in June 2016 and was accordingly given a three year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on condition he behave, stay away from the injured party as well as Green Street, Grove Street and the Crescent in Roscrea. However, McCarthy had his 12 month suspended sentence activated in full today after entering the same injured party's home last April where he was found hiding behind a cardboard box by gardaí.