MAN WENT INTO PUB ‘FOR A REST’

A Rathdrum man who said that he went into Chester Beatty’s in Ashford to rest after walking from Newtown saw the case against him dismissed at Bray District Court last Thursday.

Robert O’Brien (35), 26 Ivy Leaf, Rathdrum, had been charged with entering a building with intent to commit criminal damage, however, Judge David Kennedy ruled that there was a lack of evidence that he carried out criminal damage.

Bobby Caprani, former owner of Chester Beatty’s which was in receivership at the time, was still living in an apartment there on October 18, 2014. He told the court that he was coming back from work at around 8.45 a.m. and encountered a stranger on the landing. He said that he had a good look at him.

‘Another guy came out of an office and the two of them ran away into a storeroom.’

Mr Caprani thought that the men had ran into a dead-end, he went and got a golf club, checked on his wife, and called the gardaí who arrive very quickly. They went and looked into the storeroom and saw a hole in the partition wall.

The gardaí then put out the descriptions and found that there were two men near the Bel Air Hotel. ‘I was asked to go up to identify them and I did,’ said Mr Caprani.

The court heard that the men never entered Mr Caprani’s apartment.

Mr Caprani said that the receivers ultimately sold the property and he moved out. The business was not operating at that time.

Garda Linda Murphy read out the contents of O’Brien’s interview at the garda station.

‘Basically myself and Damien Taylor left Rathdrum in a taxi and went to Newtown to a house party,’ he said. He said that they stayed a couple of hours and then left, with no way to travel other than walking. ‘We walked to Ashford. We were going by Chester Beatty’s and said we’d try to get a kip and went in an open door. We drank some lemonade and lay down in one of the bedrooms. We were leaving to thumb a lift, and heard a voice saying “who are you?”, saw a man screaming and legged it.’

He said that they ran away, got lost, and soon after the gardaí found them. He said that they knew Chester Beatty’s was closed and just wanted to get a rest.

He said that they didn’t break anything and didn’t know anyone was living there.

A barrister for O’Brien said that there was no evidence of ownership or permission or otherwise to be on the premises. He said that there was no evidence put before the court to show an intent to criminally damage the property.

‘ There is no evidence that they caused the damage,’ said Judge Kennedy. ‘While it might be likely, that’s all it is.’