Man sentenced for burglary of restaurant in Dundalk

A homeless man, with 116 previous convictions, who kicked open a door of a local restaurant and stole €100 in a burglary at the premises, was sentenced to eight months at Dundalk district court last week.

Danny Duffy (28) with an address at the Simon Community, Barrack Street, Dundalk pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and criminal damage arising out of the incident at the Europa Restaurant on Earl Street, shortly after 4.30am on June 5th last.

Coins were spilled on the floor and CCTV showed him rummaging through the till before leaving with a quantity of cash.
He was arrested that evening after being spotted by gardaí at Dunnes Stores in Muirhevnamor.

The court heard last Wednesday that eight of the defendant's previous convictions were for burglary and seven for criminal damage.

The Defence solicitor said her client had a very unstable and traumatic upbringing, when he was in and out of foster care and a lot of his adult life had been in and out of custody.

She added he had been offered a place on a residential treatment course, but did not take it up as his grandmother had taken ill.

The solicitor stressed that Mr. Duffy was remorseful.

Judge Vincent Deane imposed an eight month sentence for the burglary offence, back dated to June 6th when he went into custody, and marked the criminal damage charge taken into consideration.