Man could not recall breaking into a café

A young man had such a quantity of anti-depressants, relaxants and alcohol that he could not remember breaking into a café at Blackrock village in Cork in the early hours of the morning.

Garda Gerard O’Leary showed Shane Byrne, 20, CCTV from the Natural Foods Bakery at the pier in Blackrock and even though he identified himself as the man in the video he could not remember breaking in.

Diane Hallahan, defence solicitor, said Byrne of 13A Post Office Avenue, Blackrock, had been abusing prescription tablets and alcohol at the time of the crime.

He was not in court to contest the case.

Ms Hallahan said there were several warrants out for Byrne’s arrest. She was aware he would not be coming to court.

“Mentally and psychologically he is not in a good place, he is finding it very difficult to cope with life,” Ms Hallahan said.

Judge Olann Kelleher said that for a man of only 21 years of age he had 43 previous convictions.

The judge asked Garda O’Leary, “Is he running wild?” Garda O’Leary said that he had been, but not as much recently.

The judge imposed a prison sentence of four months on Byrne, in his absence, for causing criminal damage and trespassing at the premises.