Man ‘burgled and attacked as he slept on his own sofa’

A MAN in his forties has been charged in connection with a burglary this week in West Cork during which a middle-aged man, who had been asleep in his house, was attacked by an intruder.

Thomas O’Neill also known by the surname Savage, 45, appeared at Clonakilty District Court yesterday where he was charged with an aggravated burglary at the home of a 57year-old man at Enniskeane Co Cork. It is alleged that Mr O’Neill of Haven Cottage, Bandon, Co Cork broke into the property of the homeowner who had fallen asleep on a sofa while watching TV and began attacking him with a yardbrush.

Detective Garda Kevin Heffernan said that the man’s adult son and daughter heard the noise downstairs and pursued the intruder in their car as he fled the house. Det Gda Heffernan said that the accused was allegedly arrested by gardaí in a laneway near the house where the burglary occurred.

He told Judge John King that gardaí were objecting to bail on the grounds of the gravity of the charges.

He said, O’Neill was a heroin addict but the accused denied this in court.

Judge King said that he was refusing Mr O’Neill bail on the grounds that he accepted that he would be a danger to the public if he was at large.

He remanded him in custody to appear again on December 29.