A man from Dublin who broke into Ballina Train Station in order to sleep rough there, and then stole a credit card keypad from the station’s office, was before Ballina District Court on Tuesday.
Inspector Joe Doherty told the court that Ballina gardaí were informed about a burglary on February 28 2011 from Ballina Train Station where at 1am, Alan Delve, 13 Woodvale Avenue, Blakestown, Dublin 15 entered the station via a rear window which he forced open. The defendant stole a credit card remote keypad from the office building, which was worth €100. The item has not been recovered.
The incident was captured on CCTV and the defendant was identified. On March 22, Delve was arrested and admitted that he had entered the premises.
Solicitor Denis Molloy said that at this time the defendant had “upheaval in his life” after he broke-up with his girlfriend. On the night of the incident, Mr Molloy said that Delve entered the train station in order to sleep rough in the waiting room. Mr Molloy said that his client has no recollection of taking the keypad as he was on “a cocktail of prescription medications and alcohol on the night”.
The court heard that Delve has now completed two computer courses in Dublin and has been accepted on an accounts and payroll course with FÁS next year.
The defendant, originally from Manchester, has 13 previous convictions throughout the country. Judge Mary Devins said to him that he has had “a very interesting and wandering sort of life in Ireland”. Delve said that he had been a self-employed plasterer so moved around. The judge said that the defendant seemed to get into trouble wherever he moved to. Delve said that “I was making too much money” at the time and was drinking too much, “I was an alcoholic”.
Delve was also before the court in relation to two counts of criminal damage which he caused in Supermac’s. The first incident happened on February 24 2011 — evidence of which was heard at a previous court sitting. Delve had tried to remove a charity poor box in Supermac’s and when staff challenged him about this he threw the charity box to the ground and left the premises. On February 27 at 12.15am, Delve also caused damage to the bottom panel of Supermac’s door. The cost of this damage was €150. Judge Devins had asked the defendant to give an undertaking not to come back to Mayo until he was sentenced this week.
For the February 24 incident, Judge Devins convicted and sentenced him to one month in prison, suspended for 12 months. For the second criminal damage charge he was convicted and sentenced to one month in prison consecutive, suspended for 12 months. For the theft charge he was convicted and sentenced to one month in prison consecutive, suspended for 12 months.
