Rathcabbin man gets eight-month suspended jail sentence for attempted burglaries

A man who committed a number of trespass and burglary offences has been given an eight-month suspended sentence by Judge Elizabeth MacGrath at Nenagh District Court.

Aodhan Fox of 9 Gurteen, Rathcabbin, Roscrea, had pleaded to a total of 11 charges at an earlier court.

The cases had been adjourned for a probation report.

When they returned to court last Friday, Mr Fox’s solicitor, Liz McKeever, said that her client had been “seriously addicted to alcohol” at the time of the offences. However, he had now turned his life around, she said.

Ms McKeever told the judge that Mr Fox was 23 years old and attending AA meetings and employed in the UK.

Mr Fox had paid €2,000 in compensation, she said.

“I do appreciate the seriousness of the charges but I ask you for leniency,” said Ms McKeever.

The solicitor said that, at the time of the offences, Mr Fox’s uncle had died and this was a “tragedy” in her client’s life.

He turned to alcohol to deal with mental health issues, but had since addressed those issues.

Judge MacGrath remarked that the offences were for trespass and burglary but noted that Mr Fox “seems to have turned his life around”.

She jailed him for four months for attempted burglary at a premises in Cloughjordan on November 15, 2019, but suspended it for two years on condition he entered into a bond of €250.

Judge MacGrath sentenced Mr Fox to a further four months, consecutive, for a similar offence at a premises on Main Street, Borrisokane; suspended for two years on his own bond of €250.

All other charges were taken into consideration.