A man who admitted that he got “carried away” when he hurled heavy objects at an elderly man, has received two jail sentences.
Michael Cash was before Judge Thomas Teehan at this month’s sitting of Carlow Circuit Court charged with burglary and criminal damage arising out of an incident dating back to February 14, 2005.
Garda Matt Phylan told the court that on the night in question, Thomas and Maureen Flynter who are both in the seventies, were in bed in their house in Rathvilly when they were woken by a loud bang in their kitchen.
Mr Flynter went downstairs to be met by a cement block hurtling through his back window. He said he looked to see who threw the block and spotted a young man who proceeded to throw bottles, stones and a flower-pot to attempt to gain entry to the house.
The young man then climbed in the window, Garda Phylan said. “Mr Flynter picked up a walking stick to try and repel him. Then he used a mop to attempt to stop the man from gaining entry.”
While this was going on, Mrs Flynter was calling the gardaí who arrived to arrest Mr Cash. There had been another male on the scene but there was insufficient evidence to hold him. Mr Cash however was questioned by Gardaí and admitted his crime.
“We had a few beers and we got carried away. I threw stuff at the window, I don’t know what, it was dark. I tried to get in the window and the old man tried to hit me with a stick. The old man hit a fridge with the stick so I climbed out,” Mr Cash told gardaí during questioning.
Mr Cash who is 23 and hails from Tallaght, has 24 previous convictions and has never had gainful employment.
He has been in custody since May 1, 2007 for this crime and while in prison has been taking classes and has signed up for a woodworking course. On the night in question, the court heard Mr Cash had consumed a lot of alcohol and had taken valium.
“What occurred on this night was without doubt hugely frightening for the elderly couple involved. These people seem to have been of robust disposition, which was fortunate but was not for Mr Cash to know. It was a particularly reprehensible thing to do. It would be difficult to imagine an incident more frightening. These offences have to be considered very serious,” said Judge Teehan.
Handing down a sentence of three years for the criminal damage and four years for the burglary, both to be served concurrently, Judge Teehan suspended the last year of the first sentence and two from the second scheduling Mr Cash for release with time served on May 1, 2009. Mr Cash must enter a bond for two years upon his release.
