Man broke into hospital and stole from patient and nurse
WOMAN WAS RECOVERING IN ST JOHN’S FROM CRASH THAT KILLED HER DAUGHTER WHEN DEFENDANT STOLE PHONE FROM HER ROOM
A MAN who stole the phone of a patient in St John’s Hospital while she recovered from the road accident which killed her daughter was prescribed jail by Judge Brian O’Shea at the District Court.
Darren Bryan of 36 Hempfield Close in Enniscorthy was brought to the courthouse in Gorey from Cloverhill Prison where he had been held on remand for two months.
He admitted taking the phone worth €300 from her room while trespassing in the hospital on August 1 last as the rightful owner was in the dining room.
On the same occasion, he also stole a purse containing €270 cash which belonged to a nurse working at St John’s.
When arrested, he proved aggressive, pulling a phone off the wall as he caused €200 worth of damage.
Also considered was an incident of intoxicated and aggressive behaviour at Redmond Square in Wexford in the early hours of June 8.
The same man was also responsible for the theft of a DVD and then the theft of €6 worth of food from Dealz, on dates in April and May.
Previous convictions on his record included counts of theft, criminal damage and public order matters as well as one count of perverting the course of justice.
Defending solicitor Lana Doherty entered guilty pleas and assured the court her client was off drugs since being taken to Cloverhill.
She added that Bryan was spending time in the jail gym and was also attending school while in custody.
He took guitar classes and was studying art.
Judge Brian O’Shea pointed out that most of the offences had been committed while the accused man was on bail.
Taking the phone merited a six month jail term, with two months consecutive for the damage caused to the garda station.
Other matters were marked ‘taken into consideration’ and a formal order was made out returning €85 cash found on Bryan when he was arrested to the nurse whose purse went missing.