Woman awoke to find man standing over her

A man has admitted to getting so drunk he wandered into the wrong house, stealing two mobile phones and waking up a woman sleeping on a couch.

The woman was asleep on the couch at 16 Devins Drive, Cranmore on June 29 th 2016 when she was woken by a man standing over her, Sligo District Court heard.

Inspector Paul Kilcoyne told the court that the defendant, Nigel Brannigan (41) of Windmill House, Elphin, Roscommon, was drunk and the woman got a shock.

He said the woman asked him to leave and got up off the couch. “She saw that the defendant had picked up some timber and put it on the fire. It was an unusual set of circumstances,” said the Inspector. The woman’s uncle came and removed Brannigan from the house. He then noticed two phones missing. Yhe Gardaí came and arrested Brannigan and the uncle found the two phones out the back of the house.

The court heard that the defendant made full admissions and apologised. He was subsequently charged with the theft of the two phones worth ¤400 from Ciara Jinks.

“Did he give an explanation for what happened?” Judge Kilrane asked his solicitor, Mr Tom MacSharry.

“He just walked into this house, he was very, very intoxicated,” said Mr MacSharry.

He said Brannigan had been sober for the 15 months prior to this incident and had a relapse in June of last year.

He added that Brannigan had since attended White Oaks and did a full rehabilitation programme.

Taking the witness box, Brannigan told Judge Kilrane that before this incident he thought he was doing well.

“Unfortunately, I relapsed in Dublin and when I came back to Sligo I didn’t stop. I’m deeply ashamed, I’m sorry,” he said.

He said he was now engaged with support services and was doing a bit of secretarial work.

“I know that I cannot drink. I’m trying to put it behind me and make amends,” he told the court.

Inspector Kilcoyne said Brannigan had 43 previous convictions for Public Order and drink driving.

When Judge Kilrane asked Inspector Kilcoyne what was the attitude of the victim, Inspector Kilcoyne said she wasn’t present in court as she wouldn’t have known the case was going on.

“I think she should be told. On the face of it, it is very serious and he should be sent to prison. But I won’t send him to prison today. I think the victim should be here however,” he told Inspector Kilcoyne.

Gardaí then tried to contact the victim but were unsuccessful in doing so.

Judge Kilrane said that because Brannigan went into her house and stood over her while she was asleep he was anxious to hear the woman’s views or at least give her the opportunity to be heard.

“He was somewhat of a ne’er do well. He strayed into this woman’s house and caused her fear and dread,” he said, adjourning the case to 28th September.