Wicklow burglar jailed for three years over lighting showroom break-in
The Wicklow PeopleA burglar who left blood behind after smashing his way into a lighting showroom has been handed a three-year prison sentence
Ian McNulty (45), of Bray, appeared before Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to one count of burglary.
Detective Garda Ryan O’Neill gave evidence that, at around 1am on March 2, 2025, the accused smashed the front window of House of Lights in Bray before entering the premises with a co-accused, who has already been sentenced for her role in the offence.
mR McNulty proceeded to steal high-end lamps and lighting equipment valued at €1,300, while also causing a further €1,300 worth of damage to the front window.
Counsel for the prosecution, James Kelly, said the alarm activated, causing the defendant to flee the scene. However, he left behind blood, which was later identified by Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) as belonging to him.
Det Garda O’Neill told the court it is believed mR McNulty brought the stolen lighting equipment to “a fence in the Fassaroe area”.The court heard none of the stolen property was ever recovered.
When arrested, Mr McNulty made no reply during interview. The accused has 14 previous convictions for public order offences, theft, attempted robbery and robbery.
Defence barrister Justin McQuade, instructed by solicitor Brendan Maloney, said his client’s offending was linked to his chronic drug addiction.
He also pointed to lengthy gaps in his offending history, noting that Mr McNulty had not come to the attention of gardaí for a period of 10 years.
“It is the mirror of a man who goes in and out of addiction,” Mr McQuade said.
In mitigation, the court heard the defendant wished to apologise “for the upset he has caused”. The court was told that he has an adult child and has previously worked in warehouses and hospitals.
A urinalysis report handed into court showed that Mr McNulty is now drug free.
In her judgment, Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin noted that Mr McNulty had entered an early guilty plea, which saved the State the expense of a trial.
The judge set a headline sentence of five years imprisonment.
She said there were no aggravating factors such as members of the public being present during the burglary.
However, she acknowledged the impact the offence had on the owners of the business. The judge also noted the defendant “was under the influence of chemical substances at the time of the offending”.
Judge Ní Chúlacháin accepted that Mr McNulty performs well when he is drug free and noted the long periods of “non-offending” in his criminal history, together with his previous work history.
She said the defendant benefits from structure and support and reduced the sentence to three years imprisonment before suspending the final nine months for a period of 18 months.
As part of the suspended sentence, Mr McNulty was directed to engage with the Probation Service, attend all appointments and continue participating in drug treatment and any vocational programmes directed by the service.
The sentence was backdated to November 25, 2025.