Litany of crimes to feed his habit

A heroin addict with 75 previous convictions carried out a litany of burglaries and thefts to ‘feed his habit’ Drogheda District Court has heard.

John Paul Kevitt with and address at St Joseph’s Homeless Aid, North Strand pleaded guilty to a large number of offences, including breaking into the workspace centre on Mayoralty Street, burglary at a home in St Johns on the North Road while the owner was asleep and the theft of a bicycle from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.

Judge Eirinn McKiernan imposed a 20 month sentence, suspending the final two months.

The court heard that on March 19th, 2018 gardaí received a report about a break-in at the Workspace Centre on Mayoralty Street which was reported by the owner.

A window had been broken to gain access to the office and the culprit had left blood in the hall downstairs. DNA analysis of the blood showed it was a match for John Paul Kevitt.

On July 16th, a burglary was reported at a house at St Johns, Upper North Road in which a television and a bicycle were taken from the house overnight. CCTV footage showed the defendant going into the house and coming out with the TV. The court heard there was a man at home in the house at the time but he was unaware of the incident until the following morning.

On the same day Kevitt entered a car at Brookside Lodge on the Ballymakenny Road. He was identified by CCTV.

Ten days later, gardaí received a report from a woman whose bicycle had been stolen from her place of work at Our Lady of Lourdes. The bicycle, which was valued at €500, was not recovered.

On July 30th gardaí stopped a male at Mount Saint Oliver carrying a black laptop bag which contained a laptop. He couldn’t say how he came to have it and the laptop was later identified as stolen.

On November 5th, 2019 Kevitt was seen entering the Workspace Centre on Mayoralty Street through the front door.

He was seen on CCTV going up to the office. A short time later the owner noticed his car and house keys were missing.

Two weeks later, the owner of a house on the Navan Road in Duleek was notified by their alarm company that their alarm was going off. As they drove towards the house they observed a tall male carrying a large TV.

At the house the back door window had been smashed and a TV was missing. The homeowner drove back to confront the male and as they did so he dropped the TV and ran off.

CCTV showed it was the same male who had entered the house.

The TV was broken as a result of being dropped.

The court heard Kevitt has 75 previous convictions, 41 of which are for theft the most recent in October 2019.

Defence solicitor Dermot Monahan said Kevitt is a 33-year-old man who has suffered with a severe addiction to heroin since the age of 18 and this was a major factor in all of these incient.

Mr Monahan said he was not trying to justify Kevitt’s behaviour as he had a terrible record and described the defendant as a ‘ blight on society’ when he is trying to feed his habit.

He said Kevitt has gone into prison and been successful in the past in coming off heroin but he doesn’t seem to be able to sustain this in the real world.Mr Monahan said the defendant has been in custody since November 19th.

Judge Eirinn McKiernan sentenced the defendant to a total of 20 months but suspended the final two months on condition he enter into a Peace Bond.