‘ Found’ bag of copper piping

A man seen by Gardaí emerging from the side of a house carrying a bag of what turned out to be copper piping, told Sligo District Court he had found the bag.

Harry Andrews ( 18) of Glendallon also told the court that he had been around the back of the house cutting trees for firewood Andrews pleaded guilty to handling a bag containing stolen copper piping at Benview House, Clarion Road on November 22nd last. He was also before the court a number of adjourned charges.

Inspector Donal Sweeney said Gardaí went to Clarion Road following a report that two men were breaking into a house there, one of whom was carrying an axe at 5.34pm.

Gardaí stopped the men as they were coming out the gate of the vacant house which is owned by the HSE. The men threw items they were carrying over a wall. This included a bag with copper piping which had been cut up and which came from a boiler house which had been broken into.

Mr Tom MacSharry, solicitor ( defending) pleaded that Andrews had got High Court bail on other matters and was released on November 17th having spent two months in custody. He said the defendant was easily led.

Inspector Donal Sweeney said that judging by all the files the defendant was an active criminal. “He gets High Court bail and commits further crime again,” he said. Andrews said he had been cutting down tress with a bow saw and found the bag at the back of the place. He brought the wood home before going back to get the bag. He denied that he had the axe for cutting the copper piping.

At Judge Kevin Kilrane’s suggestion, the defendant was brought from the court by Gardaí to the scene to allow the defendant show the tree he was cutting. When the case resumed Garda Joe Evans said the defendant showed them a property to the right of Benview House where a bow saw was located at the rear.

Andrews was asked which branch he had been cutting and he pointed one out he said he had cut in order to get to a tree. The Garda said he didn’t see a cut but wasn’t an expert on tree cutting and decided to break the branch and bring it to the court along with the bow saw. Andrews said he had been cutting timber at this other house as well.

“What manner of man is he? He comes out after two months in prison and goes in trespassing to cut timber and then says he finds a bag of copper and considers he can make off with it. He has a sheaf of charges here today and he’s there chatting and smiling in the dock a minute away from jail” - Judge.

The Judge said he was prepared, perhaps against his better judgement to extend the High Court bail and adjourned matters to February 9th. “There is a history of breaches of bail here. He’s at a crossroads in his life. If he re- offends I have in mind 24 months which is the maximum.” At the same court Ivan Gethins ( 25), 4 Elm Gardens, Ballytivnan was charged with handling a circulating pump and electrical wire at the same location. He was released on bail.