Elderly targeted by burglary gang at Mass times

THE High Court has refused bail to a man accused of involvement in the burglary of a house while the elderly homeowners were at Mass.

Chief Superintendent Thomas Myers of the Cork North garda division said the alleged burglary followed a pattern that gardai have observed where the homes of elderly people living in rural areas are being targeted by an organised crime gang during Mass times on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings.

He objected to bail on the grounds that he believed John Faulkner (37) of Adelaide Place, St Luke’s, Cork would be likely to commit other serious offences if granted bail.

Mr Faulkner and two other men were arrested following an alleged burglary at a house in Freemount, Charleville, on October 19, 2019.

Chief Superintendent Myers said he believed a suspected organised crime group would continue to target vulnerable elderly people in rural communities.

He said that gardai had noted 26 burglaries between January and October 2019 that followed the same pattern whereby elderly people’s homes were burgled while they were at Mass.

Under cross examination the chief superintendent told Ronan Prendergast BL for Mr Faulkner that he could not say whether Mr Faulkner was in the country on the precise dates of the other burglaries. Mr Prendergast said his client was in England for a number of months in 2019.

The chief superintendent further agreed that Mr Faulkner is not charged with those offences and is not charged with membership of an organised crime group.

Mr Justice Michael White refused bail under Section 2 of the Bail Act 2007 on the grounds of the chief superintendent’s concerns that Mr Faulkner will commit serious offences while on bail. Mr Faulkner’s trial is expected to take place in October this year.