Burglary could see earlier suspended term activated

A Corkman who had previously received a three-year suspended jail term, for mugging an 81-year-old woman, risked having to serve the sentence after burgling the home of a garda.

Kenneth Duggan, formerly of Ballinderry Park, Mayfield, appeared at Cork District Court yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to burgling the house, at Carrigrohane, on March 7.

Inspector Bill Duane said the house, belonging to a garda, was being renovated at the time and a plywood partition had been pulled off a doorway to provide entry.

Duggan’s previous convictions included a three-year suspended sentence for mugging a pensioner, he said.

The March burglary will be brought to the attention of the judge who imposed the suspended three years, so he can decide if it should be revoked.

Garda Mark Durcan said, during a sentencing hearing in October, 2014, that the mugging, and an earlier burglary, had occurred on January 26, 2011. At 6.30pm on that day, Duggan had broken in through the rear window of a house at St Christopher’s Road, Montenotte, Cork. The alarm had gone off and he had fled empty-handed. Duggan, who is now 28, was a heroin addict at the time.

Fifteen minutes later, Duggan saw an 81-year-old woman getting off a bus. He approached from behind and pulled her handbag, dragging her along the footpath. Two neighbours came to the victim’s assistance and chased Duggan, but he got away.