Man who burgled churches while on suspended sentence jailed

A man who burgled churches and primary schools while he was serving a suspended sentence for other burglaries has been jailed for a year.

James Byrne (43) of Balfe Road, Crumlin, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary at Drimnagh Castle Primary School; St Agnes church, Crumlin; Church of the Assumption, Walkinstown, and St Mark's Junior School, Tallaght, on dates from October 3rd to 13th 2014. Byrne also pleaded guilty to criminal damage at St Mark's Junior School.

Judge Catherine Murphy suspended the last year of a two-year jail term on condition that he keeps the peace and engages with drug addiction services. She wished Byrne well and told him he was at a crossroads in his life.

Byrne has 26 previous convictions including five for burglary, three for aggravated burglary and others related to larceny and domestic violence. He was serving a suspended sentence for burglaries when he committed these offences.

Garda Orla Madden told Diarmuid Collins, prosecuting, that on October 5th, 2014, Byrne knocked on the door of St Agnes church and asked to see a priest. The woman who let him in had been counting coins in the sacristy and told Byrne to wait for the priest to return.

Minutes later she saw him jump up and run from the church. Another witness heard the sound of coins rattling in Byrne’s jacket as he ran. Byrne later told gardaí that he got €56 from the theft.

Counting coins

On October 13th, 2014, at Church of the Assumption an 80-year-old man was counting coins in the church when he noticed a hand on the bench beside him. Initially he thought it was the parish priest and when he saw it was Byrne he tried to grab him but could not get a grip.

As the elderly man chased him, shouting for him to stop, Byrne turned and locked the door. Garda Madden said he got away with between €200 and €300.

Garda Madden told the court that Byrne identified himself on CCTV footage from Drimnagh Castle Primary School on October 3rd 2014 after a teacher reported their laptop as stolen.

Garda Kieran Kilcoyne said that Byrne broke into St Mark's Junior School in Tallaght on October 12th, 2014 and caused €3,500 worth of damage to doors and windows in the school.

Byrne told gardaí that he did not get anything during the burglary and had to go to his ex-wife’s house afterwards to borrow €10.

James Dwyer, defending, said his client was remorseful and was making efforts to tackle his drug addiction. He said the father-of-four has being categorised as an enhanced prisoner while in custody.

Mr Dwyer said that Byrne did not use violence in any of the burglaries and the only contact he had with someone was the “robust 80-year-old” who attempted to grab him. Byrne apologised for locking the man in the church.