Derry court hears van owner managed to take thief to the ground after he swung a bottle of Buckfast at him

A Derry court has heard how the owner of van which had just been broken into managed to wrestle a thief to the ground after he swung a bottle of Buckfast at him.

Cavin White, 27, admitted offences of theft, converting criminal property and possessing Class B drug Cannabis on March 27 as well as criminal damage of a van and common assault on April 19 of this year.

A Public Prosecution Service (PPS) representative said that at 2.05pm in March the defendant entered Maplin store where he stole two Amazon Firesticks and a micro-projector. He was identified on CCTV footage as the perpetrator.

The court heard the two Firesticks were exchanged for £30 each at a store and White spent £15 in a bookmakers. During police interview he made full admissions and told officers he had consumed Xanax bars and alcohol.

The more recent offences took place at 7pm on April 19 when White left his house in an intoxicated state. He was said to have been hit the window of a van with his elbow causing £80 worth of damage.

The owner of the vehicle then ran out of his property to confront White at which point the defendant swung a bottle of Buckfast at his head.

The victim was able to block the attack and tripped the 27-year-old, taking him to the ground, before calling the police.

Defence barrister Eoghan Devlin said that in terms of a record for violence his client has ‘one assault on police’ and GBH for which he received a nine months custodial sentence which ends on August 31.

However, he is also on remand for other offences, Mr Devlin explained.

He told the court his plea would be about totality and said he client has dependency issues and therefore ‘steals to feed them’. When the offending took place, White was experiencing a ‘particularly difficult’ period with drugs which he was ‘using in a serious way’.

Defence Counsel asked District Judge Barney McElholm not to elongate his client’s Crown Court sentence.

The defendant, whose address was given as Lodge Road in Coleraine, was handed a five months concurrent sentence and fined £200.

However, Judge McElholm said he was aware that White broke the window in an attempt to ‘steal tools’ which is a ‘crime of epidemic proportions in Ireland and the UK.

“Anyone stealing tools from workmen in future is going to go to prison in this court,” he added.