Jail term form an who ‘cannot remember’ damaging cars

A MAN who broke into 13 vehicles parked at Florence Road car park was on ‘a concoction’ of drugs and can’t remember the rampage, a court heard.

Evan Byrne (24), 9 Hazelwood, was in Bray District Court last Thursday.

The court heard that the damage was discovered on the morning of August 24, 2017.

The windows were smashed and all the vehicles had been gone through. There was over €6,000 worth of damage, the court heard, and €150 worth of property taken, including tools.

Byrne was also charged with writing his name in graffiti on the public office of a garda station on November 17, and theft of €40 worth of petrol at Applegreen in Cullenmore on December 7, 2017.

Solicitor Brendan Maloney said that his client has been in custody since February 14.

‘Each time he transgresses the issue is particularly related to drugs,’ said Mr Maloney. ‘He was on a concoction of drugs on the night in question. When questioned regarding the escapade he couldn’t remember,’ he said.

The court heard that Byrne has been on drugs since he was 16 and that this has blighted his life. He has been clean since entering custody and is now off all substances.

Judge John Cheatle said that he noted that Byrne hasn’t had an easy time of it and drugs have blighted his life. He handed down a sixmonth sentence for one sample count of criminal damage, backdated to February 14.

He sentenced him to further eight months for another count of criminal damage, consecutive to the first sentence but suspended for two years, and took the remaining charges into consideration.