Out of control Kilmuckridge man is jailed

A man who went on somewhat of a crime spree around Kilmuckridge last year appeared before the District Court to answer to a string of charges.

Colm Carroll (19) of 4 Chestnut Walk, Kilmuckridge, was brought before the court in custody. He pleaded guilty to a string of offences in Kilmuckridge on December 20 last including two counts of burglary, stealing keys, sunglasses and €8.70 in cash; a vice grips and a key fob worth €30 and a set of keys worth €50. He was further charged with burglary at Lawless’ Shop in Kilmuckridge on the same day, during the course of which €700 worth of cigarettes were taken.

Carroll was caught after he was reported to have been attempting to sell cigarettes in the village by a local.

He was also charged with breaking into the CTOS Training Centre in Kilmuckridge at some point between June 26 and 27 of last year, smashing a photocopier, windows and a toilet cistern in the process.

There were further criminal damage charges dating from June 27 last which saw glass doors smashed at Verona take-away at a cost of €300 and windows smashed in The Golden Dragon at a cost of €400.

The court heard that Carroll had 21 previous convictions, however, solicitor Ed King pointed out that 16 of these were committed when he was a juvenile. One of these convictions was for an aggravated burglary, which saw him serve a two year sentence.

Mr King put it to gardaí that Carroll’s criminal exploits were ‘ by no means a sophisticated endeavour’. He said his client had had little or no access to psychiatric services and once again lamented the closure of St Senan’s Hospital in Enniscorthy along with long waiting lists for psychiatric services in Waterford.

Judge Kevin Staunton said: ‘Obviously this is a young man with significant problems. He is racking up a considerable list of previous convictions.

‘He’s previously received a lengthy sentence and it seems he hasn’t learned from it. While the level of offences here are not at the top end of the scale in terms of seriousness, they are significant in volume and it is serious none the less. It seems he is out of control and a custodial sentence is unavoidable.’

Judge Staunton then sentenced Carroll to nine months in prison on the first burglary charge and followed this with a nine month sentence ‘in respect of every other matter’ to be served concurrently. He back dated the sentence to when Carroll first entered custody.