Man said he was chasing dog and ended up in yard

A man who was seen on CCTV ‘casing out’ a yard belonging to a haulage business was warned by Judge Kevin Kilrane he is facing prison if he gets in trouble again. Paddy Maughan (31) was charged with trespassing and intent to commit an offence at East West Courier Service in Lowpark, Charlestown January 11 th 2017. Tubbercurry District Court heard from James Marren, the owner of the yard in Charlestown. He said he was on the phone in the main office when he spotted a man, later discovered to be Paddy Maughan of Railway Terrace, Swinford walking about the yard on CCTV. When he got off the phone the man had climbed a fence and was on the road. Mr Marren asked him what he was doing and the defendant said he didn’t do anything. Gardaí were contacted and shown the CCTV footage. Mr Marren said it appeared the defendant was looking at the vehicles and that he came to be on the premises from an embankment which was off a side road and five foot high. He said he now has security fencing surrounding the premises.

“He didn’t take anything but I am just annoyed that there was a person walking in my yard looking at stuff,” Mr Marren told Judge Kevin Kilrane. Garda Barry Walsh drew a sketch of the premises and said there were banks all along the roadside between an automatic gate and the dead end road to act as a security feature. Garda Walsh said the defendant exited the premises through the Swinford side of the automatic gate and that it wasn’t possible to see him enter the premises on CCTV he was first seen appearing behind a truck and on the second footage he is observed looking around. He said Maughan was seen walking in and around the yard and then he exited. Inspector Paul Kilcoyne said when gardaí called to Maughan’s house he admitted he was walking through the yard because he was chasing a dog.

He also admitted talking to Mr Marren and apologised. He had 60 previous convictions. Garda Walsh said there was no sign of a dog. Mr William O’Connor solicitor (defending) said his client didn’t dispute being on the premises but said he was just walking through and didn’t touch or interfere with any property.

Judge Kilrane queried if the defendant was casing the place for another entry at another time. Inspector Kilcoyne said it was quite clear there was no dog and he didn’t go to the toilet which was another reason Maughan gave for being there.

Maughan told the judge he was coming from his mother and father’s house and walking up a small road he was familiar with as he used to go to a gym nearby. Inspector Kilcoyne then interjected: “Your parents live in Kiltimagh do they not, this is Charlestown.” The judge remarked that he had 60 previous convictions including burglary and Maughan said: “that was years ago” to which the judge replied it was 2015.

“I understand you were in the yard to case the place to steal that is a fact. Your follow up explanation was that you were in it to go to the toiler or to follow a dog and then you deny being there at all. You were caught out. You’re a thief who was going to steal there was rich pickings in the yard for the likes of you.

“Of course you weren’t going to take anything in broad daylight you were going to come back in darkness.”

He adjourned until October warning Maughan he faces 6 months in prison if there is anything alleged against him in the meantime. “This thievery is going to stop.” Maughan replied: “I’m no thief ”, to which Judge Kirane retorted ‘you have convictions against you’.