Thief left injured accomplice in a bush for 12 hours

A student stole computers from his university because he wanted to design a computer game called Angry Pigs to rival the popular Angry Birds, a court has heard.

Femi Adekele, aged 25, and his accomplice jumped out of a window to escape security guards, breaking his leg in the process. His friend then left him in a bush on college grounds for 12 hours overnight.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard the accomplice returned to the bush the next day with a wheelbarrow to take Adekele away. He abandoned the “farcical” rescue operation when security guards spotted and stopped Adekele in the wheelbarrow.

Adekele, of the Maiston, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and burglary at Dublin City University, Glasnevin Avenue, on December 1 and 22, 2012.

Judge Martin Nolan said Adekele’s crime led to a “comical situation” in which he was caught while been wheeled away.

He noted that Adekele has a good history of employment and no previous convictions. He suspended a sentence of two years.

Garda Brendan Casey told Anne Marie Lawlor, prosecuting, that, on the night of December 22, the two thieves were caught in the act of stealing computer equipment from a lab.

Adekele had brought a bolt cutters and knife in to cut the cables securing the computers.

The men had filled two large shopping bags with Apple computers and keyboards when security guards walked into the lab. The burglars jumped out of an upstairs window. Adekele broke his leg and his friend left him in the bush for the next 12 hours.

After his arrest, Adekele was linked to another attempted burglary on the computer lab earlier that month.

Pieter Le Vert, defending, said Adekele’s crimes ended in a “farcical conclusion”. He said Adekele had not worn any disguise and had documents with his name on them in a shoulder bag that he had on the night.

After his arrest, the student told gardaí he needed the Apple computers because he wanted to develop a computer game app called Angry Pigs to rival the popular smartphone game Angry Birds.

Mr Le Vert said his client had planned to make his fortune from this game.

He said Adekele was born in Nigeria but is an Irish citizen, having lived here for 10 years. He was in the middle of studying for a master’s degree at the university when he carried out the burglary. This has not been completed.

The court heard he worked while studying for his undergraduate in engineering. He has worked as a kitchen porter and in the ESB.

Mr Le Vert added that his client has brought great shame on his family.