BREAK IN AT BISHOP’S HOUSE
A 32-year-old man broke into the Bishop of Elphin’s home, cooked a meal, threw tomato soup all over the walls as well as writing graffiti on them before making off with silver cutlery.
Bishop Kevin Doran wasn’t at his Temple Street home on the night of December 1st 2015 when Darren Kirwan, a native of Carlow broke in after smashing a front window with a stone around 1am.
After entering the home on Temple Street, Kirwan took a brush and struck the alarm control box disabling it and knocking it off the wall in the utility room.
He then cooked a meal before covering the walls with it and then wrote graffiti on them.
Kirwan made off with a sterling silver cutlery set worth in the region of €500 along with a gift voucher.
The Sligo Champion understands that Kirwan wrote graffiti on walls in various downstairs rooms, hallway and a stairway leading to the landing.
It was of an anti- Garda and anti-British sentiment.
Tomato soup was thrown at the kitchen walls and ceiling.
The Champion also under- stands that the alarm company had made a call after receiving notification of the alarm going off but it was confined to just one zone in the house and could not be heard so the Gardaí were not contacted.
On the afternoon before the burglary the defendant had called to the home of the Bishop and was told he was away after asking to speak with him.
He had stated that he was homeless and was looking for accommodation.
Taken from the home was a Newbridge cutlery set while a number of items had been removed and placed on the lawn.
Various documents were also moved around the Bishop’s office.
The damage was confined to the downstairs of the Bishop’s home.
A front window had to be replaced at a cost of €200 while the internal walls had to be repainted.
At the outset of the hearing at Sligo District Court last Thursday, the defendant’s solicitor Mr Gerard McGovern said he wished to have the matters finalised.
The defendant was now back in Kilkenny where he was an in-patient at St Luke’s Hospital.
Judge Kevin Kilrane asked if the defendant was fit to plead and Mr McGovern confirmed that he was.
“He is very sensible and easy to talk to now,” said Mr McGov- ern.
The case had been adjourned from a previous sitting to see how the defendant’s treatment progressed.
Kirwan had pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage at the Bishop’s Palace.
Inspector Paul Kilcoyne told the court that the defendant had 48 previous convictions though some of these were disputed by the defendant.
Mr McGovern said it was a bizarre situation.
Kirwan had been living rough and had ben in touch with clergy and was suffering from a severe illness.
Mr McGovern said that when the defendant first appeared in court he wished to fight the case and was speaking about bizarre circumstances and was querying who the clergy were.
“It was off the wall stuff but he has since received treatment in hospital.
“Who we see today is a totally different person. He is coherent,” said Mr McGovern.
Judge Kilrane asked the defendant if he recalled the incident. id
Kirwan replied that he did. He stated that he was upset, angry, cold and hungry.
He was aware that the Bishop wasn’t at home that night.
He had been staying outside the nearby cathedral.
“Under no circumstances did I deliberately set out to do it,” he said.
Kirwan told the Judge that he was taking his medication at present, was living in St Luke’s and “was good.”
He had been in the hospital for the past year and a member of staff had accompanied him to the court.
The long term plan was for him to move out into a hostel in Carlow.
“I’d be delighted with that,” he said.
The staff nurse who was with the defendant was asked to come forward and he told the judge that the defendant was doing very well.
He was a voluntary patient in St Luke’s and went out each day.
THEREWAS EXTENSIVE GRAFFITI ON VARIOUS DOWNSTAIRS WALLS, HALLWAY AND STAIRWAY WHICH WASOFAN ANTI-GARDA ANDANTI BRITISH SENTIMENT
ThThere wasn’t’ any problem bl with the defendant taking his medication.
Judge Kilrane said the defendant was clearly suffering at the time from mental health issues.
“In the circumstances I will apply the Probatiion Act,” he said.
At the same court Kirwan pleaded guilty to forging a cheque in the amount of €400 at Sligo General Post Office on March 31st 2014.
The social welfare cheque was made out to the defendant and he cashed it.
The original cheque had been made out for €100.
Kirwan told the Judge that he collected the amount but that he never gave any of it back.
He stated that he was on a disability allowance.
Inspector Kilcoyne said the Post Office was out of funds as a result of the forgery.
Judge Kilrane said he would also apply the Probation Act in this case too.