Suspended sentence for man who broke into closed-down surgery looking for drugs

A hapless burglar was caught after he broke into a medical surgery searching for drugs - more than five years after it had closed its doors.

Chad Mitchell appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with burglary at Scally Place at Mount Southwell in Letterkenny on July 22. Mitchell, aged 27, was caught on CCTV scouring the premises of the former Scally Medical Practice.

Garda Sergeant Sean McDaid told the court that the owner of the building arrived at the premises on July 24 to collect post.

He noticed damage had been caused to a door, a picture frame and internal doors before noticing a CCTV hard drive and wiring had been ripped out but was later found on the floor. A copper cylinder and gas boiler had also been taken off the wall.

The CCTV was downloaded by Gardai and Mitchell was identified in the footage before he was arrested and then charged.

The court was told that Mitchell, with an address at Westend Accommodation, West End, Bundoran, has 11 previous convictions including some for robbery and burglary. He had been in custody since August 1 when he was arrested. His solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said his client had been doing well but had 'reconnected with other parties' and was on a downward spiral and in a quagmire of drugs.

He said that his client was high when breaking into the premises. Mr Gallagher added the fact that Mitchell was looking for drugs in a premises which had closed at least five years previously spoke for itself.

"He is at the court's mercy. He was caught on camera and there is no defence to the matter. He has got assistance but it is a constant battle for him and he has to accept that," added the solicitor. Judge Ciaran Liddy imposed a sentence of six months in prison but then suspended the sentence for six months.