Courts / Dublin / Report

Serial burglar almost bled to death after falling through skylight

Summary

Stephen McCullagh, aged 38, fell through a skylight at a vehicle glass repair shop, sustaining arm injuries that nearly caused him to bleed to death. Blood trails led from the skylight to various offices and drawers he had rummaged through. Gardaí were alerted by Dublin Fire Brigade members, and medical staff forced shutters open and unlocked the building to reach him. McCullagh, who had previously been told he might have bled to death but survived due to air bubbles in his heart, pleaded guilty to criminal damage on 4 June 2017. He has 69 prior convictions, including burglaries, thefts, drug possession and traffic offences. In court, he showed scars and described numb fingers; counsel noted his physical punishment. Judge Martin Nolan accepted the near‑fatal incident, described McCullagh as a "sad case", and imposed a two‑year suspended sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Serial burglar almost bled to death after falling through skylight. Charges or matters: criminal damage of the skylight at Mr Windscreen, Crumlin Road, Crumlin, on June 4, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• June 4, 2017 Incident
• 2018-03-20 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report