This article is from page 18 of the 2011-07-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
A BARRISTER yesterday told a court that a 22-year-old Kilrush man developed an addiction to heroin while in prison, having been drug-free prior to his admission.
The statement was made at Ennis Circuit Court, in the case of Eamon Hall (22), of Wood Road, Kilrush. He admitted burgling a house in Kilrush in May 2010 and a shop in the town in October 2010.
Garda Donal Corkery told Ennis Circuit Court yesterday that in the October incident, property and cash valued at more than € 10,000 was taken (including cigarettes, clothing and cash), while € 750 damage was caused to the premises.
The court heard the shop was ransacked.
In the other incident, two people were seen running away after a man heard noise in the bathroom of his home in the early hours of the morning. The other individual, a juvenile, has since been dealt with by the courts, the court was told.
The keys to the man’s premises were stolen from his home, which the defendant told gardaí he threw away. He told gardaí he was looking for money in the house.
The court heard at the time, Hall, who has more than 20 previous convictions, had a “chronic drug problem”.
His barrister Yvonne Quinn (instruct- ed by Eugene O’Kelly solicitor) said that he made “full and frank admissions” to gardaí. She said he had been drinking and was on drugs at the time.
She told the court that her client was jailed in 2009 and while in prison he developed an addiction to heroin.
“Prior to going to prison he was drug free. When he was released he was a heroin addict,” she said.
Gda Corkery replied, “He became addicted to heroin in the past two years.”
However, he added that he was not aware of where the addiction was born.
Ms Quinn added, “Drink and an addiction to drugs were the sole motivation behind these crimes. . .
“The sole motivation was a desire to obtain money to feed his drug addiction and his alcohol addiction. He realises they are the root of his difficulties.”
She said that her client’s life began to “spiral out of control” when his addiction developed, but added that he is now drug free, having undergone counselling.
Judge Carroll Moran said he accepted that the offences were committed to feed an addiction and that the accused is now off drugs.
He added, “He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. Without his admissions there would not be any case against him as a matter of probability.”
He imposed a three-year jail sentence suspended for four years and bound him to the peace.