A criminal who was trying to get into the “headstone business” has been jailed for 18 months after causing criminal damage to cemetery headstones in what the judge described as “an unbelievable mean, despicable crime”.

A headstone was damaged and a bronze statue was removed from another headstone at a cemetery in Clonakilty and yesterday the culprit confessed to the crime.

A 36-year-old Cork man who stole a €1,500 power-washer in Fermoy was freed from a jail sentence yesterday on his commitment to clean up his long-time alcohol problem.

The man who treated himself to a Christmas holiday at the five-star Hayfield Manor and leaving without paying his bill of over €3,000 and similar offences totalling €3,000 at two other Cork hotels and a guesthouse over the holiday period last year will spend this Christmas behind bars.

A man ran up bills of more than €6,000 staying at fancy hotels including a five-star facility in Cork — and left without paying.