Broke into Donegal Town solicitor’s office after oversleeping on Dublin to Donegal Expressway bus

A 26-year-old Cavan man who said that he had arrived in Donegal Town only because he had overslept on the Dublin to Donegal Expressway bus, when he had missed the Cavan stop, was given a six months suspended jail term after he was convicted of theft after entering a local solicitor’s office in Donegal Town at three o’clock in the morning, last August.

Before Ballyshannon Court was Matthew Murphy with an address of 15 Annagh Park, Kilconny, Belturbet, Co Cavan. 

The court was told that the defendant had been at Bridge Street, Donegal Town in the early hours of August 22 last, when he had entered the solicitor’s office of Canny Corbett solicitors through a window.

He fled after the alarm went off and when he was apprehended by gardai in response to the alarm, he also had cash in his possession, which it later emerged had been taken from the same solicitor's office.

A guilty plea was proffered on his behalf by Rory O’Brien, solicitor who said that no damage had been caused to the offices his client had entered.    

Mr O’Brien said that his client was homeless and was looking for somewhere to sleep on the night and had gained access to the offices through a window.

Defendant had fled after the alarm went off but cash and a bottle of whiskey which he did not own, were found in his possession. 

The value of the cash was said to be €57.

Defendant apologised to the court, which was told that the defendant had 63 previous convictions, mainly public order related.

He had been in Mountjoy jail since September with an anticipated release date in early December on unrelated matters.

In mitigation, his solicitor Mr O'Brien said that his client who was from the Belturbet area had fallen asleep on the bus from Dublin to Cavan bus and woken up in Donegal town.

He had left school at 15 and had been dealing with drugs and alcohol issues since.

He had been addressing these issues in recent times and prison was a step in the right direction, his solicitor explained.

His family were also supporting him as he addressed these issues.

Judge Deirdre Gearty said that the defendant had an “appalling history”.

He had no business in being in the property and he had tendered what the Judge referred to as a “token apology”. 

She was sure that other courts had also tried to deal with the issues before them relating to the client but again and again, he had failed to take any opportunities afforded to him. 

She was inclined to add six months to the sentence he was currently serving as she had nothing to work on, including any probation reports. 

However, she said that she would impose a six-month jail term on the charge before this court and suspend it for 12 months but the defendant had to liaise with the probation services and deal with them over the next twelve months in a meaningful way.

He also had to set up a contact system with the probation services in his own area in Cavan and remain of good behaviour, as well as signing his own bond of €250, the judge said.