Man caught with stolen monkey in car

A trainee football coach, who was caught with a stolen monkey in a cage in the back of his car, has been ordered to carry out community service to avoid a jail term.

Paul Murtagh, 29, of Birchdale Park, Kinsealy, Co Dublin, and Lighthouse Apartments, East Wall, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court yesterday to possessing “one common South American marmoset” worth €1,500.

He was caught with the animal at Ravensdale Road, East Wall, on Oct 1 last year, hours after it had been taken during a burglary in Co Kildare.