Intoxicated intruder asked for drink

A LATE-NIGHT intruder was so drunk in the house he burgled that he asked for a drink when the householders nabbed him — and after he was pushed out of the house he knocked on the door and asked again for a bottle.

A jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court returned a verdict of not guilty for Patrick Faulkner, of 23 Dunmore Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Co Cork.

The father of the family and one of his teenage daughters gave evidence.

She heard a noise in her home and went out to the landing where she met a man she described to gardaí as wearing blue jeans that were too big for him and an orange jumper. She said he was heavily intoxicated and asked her: “Any chance of a bottle of drink?”

Her father then arrived and pushed the man out the door. However, the intruder was no sooner outside than he knocked on the door. The owner opened it and the stranger said: “The girl said she would get me a bottle.”

The owner then closed the door and told him to leave. Gardaí arrived in the area and found a man wearing an orange jumper and what they described as grey pants.

Defence barrister Donal O’Sullivan said the jury was being asked to link the accused to the crime through the wearing of an orange jumper and suggested that they could not reach such a decision beyond reasonable doubt.