Burglar prepared to pay compensation to 'elderly' homeowner

A burglar told gardaí on learning he had broken into the house of an “elderly woman” that if he had known the age of the homeowner he would rather have cut his throat than raided her home.

Gary Byrne (aged 23) who was sentenced to three years for this and one other burglary that occurred two days earlier, said in garda interview that he had a "nanny" and he knew that “elderly women are frail”.