A homeless alcoholic who trespassed in a city centre apartment while a woman was asleep in her bed was remanded on continuing bail while his suitability for community service is assessed.
Michael Conneely (45 ), with an address given as Fairgreen Hostel, Galway, appeared at Galway District Court last Wednesday and pleaded guilty to trespassing to commit burglary at apartment 1 Dock Street on January 27, 2008. A co-accused man failed to appear in court and a bench warrant was issued.
Inspector Mick Coppinger told the court that at 10.40am the front door of the apartment was forced open and the defendant and another man entered. They went into the kitchen where they took two bottles of alcohol. Then one of the men “looked into a bedroom where a lady was asleep in bed”. She awoke and alerted gardaí. The two men were arrested a short distance away and were found to be intoxicated at the time.
Defence solicitor Sean O’Cearbhaill said that it wasn’t his client who entered the apartment first but he did follow. He said that Conneely didn’t go upstairs where the occupant of the apartment was and gardai accept that. He added that had Conneely known there was someone in the apartment he would not have gone in.
Regarding the defendant’s background, Mr O’Cearbhaill said that he has had a serious drink problem from a young age after he went to sea. When he had managed to abstain from alcohol the defendant had gained employment in fishing mostly, but had also spent time in the army and worked with a steel company.
“This man has quite a number of previous convictions and sentences... there’s a pattern. He drinks, gets into trouble, and serves a sentence. He is taking steps to get off drink,” said Mr O’Cearbhaill who added that his client would be willing to do community service.
Judge Mary Fahy said that she was aware from another forum that the defendant has serious problems, however she didn’t think that he was violent. She said that she would give the defendant a chance to do community service on the basis that he co-operates or go to prison. She remanded the defendant on continuing bail to November 3, 2008, and ordered a community service report to be prepared to assess his suitability to do 100 hours in lieu of three months jail.
