Court hears details of a ‘bizarre’ home burglary in Kilkenny

A suspended jail sentence for burglary has been handed down to a man who told a “bizarre” tale of getting stuck in a series of back gardens after a “session.”

On August 13, 2022, gardaí were called at about 11am, in relation to a man being in the back garden of a house on the Old Callan Road, Kilkenny.

When they arrived in the area, the gardaí saw Peter McCarthy, 24 Oakfield Drive, Thurles, who was stumbling in the green in the residential area.
Mr McCarthy had a small cut over his eye and was holding a towel to it.

The court heard that Mr McCarthy had been seen coming out of a house. He had entered the house by breaking a back window to gain entry. He was seen inside, and then he left. He was also seen in back gardens of residences.
Mr McCarthy had 23 previous convictions.

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Solicitor Ed Hughes said the facts were accepted. It was an unusual case, he said.
Two days before this his client had come to Kilkenny “to meet a couple of people for a session.”
He was on a night out when some people invited him back to a house party, on Old Callan Road.
The solicitor said it had been quite dark and his client ended up in the back garden of houses.

Sergeant Morgan O’Connor said Mr McCarthy was seen coming out of a front door by a neighbour, who phoned the homeowner.
The homeowner came to the scene and identified the towel used by Mr McCarthy. She also informed gardaí the back window in the house had been broken.

Mr Hughes said his client didn’t know where he was and the other people had left.
Mr McCarthy rang the gardaí himself for help and when he was asked where he was he said he didn’t know.

He had jumped over walls, stuck in back gardens. He eventually broke a back door of someone’s house - “he broke in to get out,” the solicitor said.

He was seen going from house to house with blood on his face that morning. He found a towel in the house and put that to his head, Mr Hughes said.

When interviewed by gardaí he made full admissions.

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Judge Geraldine Carthy agreed that it was an unusual matter. “To say it’s bizarre is putting it mildly.”
She said whether she believed the story or not Mr McCarthy had pleaded guilty to burglary. She accepted the offer of €500 compensation for the injured party.

Judge Carthy convicted Mr McCarthy of burglary and sentenced him to eight months in prison.
She suspended this for 18 months on condition he engage with the Probation Service, who will be of assistance to him. The public order charge was taken into consideration.