Burglar caught after falling asleep on homeowner’s bed

A Wexford burglar was so intoxicated that he fell asleep on the homeowner's bed after piling up the items he intended to steal, a court has heard.

Michael McDermott (43) was still sleeping in the box room when the homeowner son’s saw the house had been broken into.

The son and his brother dragged McDermott out of the house into the front garden before gardaí­ arrived.

Garda Richard Carroll said McDermott was so intoxicated he had concerns for his welfare and an ambulance was called.

The burglar had also cut himself when gaining entry to the house, having smashed a front window.

Guilty plea

McDermott, of Tomagaddy, Ballycanew, Gorey, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary of the house in Coolock, Dublin on January 23rd, 2016.

He has 95 previous convictions including for assault causing harm, burglary, robbery and drug offences.

Judge Melanie Greally jailed McDermott for three years.

She accepted he had taken a large number of tablets before breaking into the house and said it was apparent to gardaí­ he was so intoxicated he needed medical treatment.

Garda Carroll told Fiona Murphy BL, prosecuting, that McDermott spent a night in hospital and was arrested almost two weeks later for questioning.

He admitted during interview that he had taken tablets that day in his mother’s home and had a row with her when he was caught trying to light a fire in his bedroom.

He left there before wandering around and breaking into the house in Coolock.

He said he got in through a window before looking around and “putting some stuff together”. He used the toilet before falling asleep on a bed upstairs.

In ‘a bad way’

McDermott said he had been in “a bad way” and could barely remember what he was doing that day.

Garda Carroll agreed with Diarmuid Collins BL, defending, that McDermott was described by the homeowner's sons as being "out of his mind".

He accepted he had injured himself when gaining access and had later apologised to the victims during interview.

Mr Collins told Judge Greally his client had a difficult upbringing, as both his parents had alcohol problems. He was used by an older person to “move drugs around Dublin” while he was still a child.

Counsel said McDermott started using cannabis at nine years old and was taking heroin at 15.

He had had a 30-year drug addiction that he managed to beat in 2013 and had moved to Manchester, staying drug-free while there.

Mr Collins said McDermott came back to Ireland some time later when his father died, re-engaged with his old peer group and then started abusing drugs and committing crime again.