Drunk man became trapped in attic of house he was trying to break in to

A man who became trapped in the attic of a house he broke into has been jailed for 18 months.

Terence Dandy (aged 22) was intoxicated and told gardaí that he thought his mother was living at the house. She was actually living next door.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring said it was a “most bizarre and frightening experience” for the children in the house to find the “spectre of a strange man coming in through the ceiling”.

Dandy of Newgrange Road, Cabra, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to criminal damage at St Fintan’s Terrace on September 16, 2011.

Judge Ring suspended the last 12 months of a two and a half year prison sentence. She also backdated the sentence to September 1, 2012.

Garda Emer Cantwell told Lisa Dempsey BL, prosecuting, that the victim and his family were renting the property and were awoken just before 4am by loud continuous banging from the roof.

The owner ran to the back yard and saw Dandy on the roof breaking tiles and timber off the roof. He asked Dandy what he was doing and Dandy yelled: “I’m f***ng trying to get in”.

The father took his family out to the front of the house and called gardaí. The court heard that at this stage Dandy was in the attic and trying to get into the main part of the house.

He was aggressive and shouting at the man to “let me f***ing in”.

When gardaí arrived Dandy had left the attic but was still on the roof. He was arrested while climbing down the back of a neighbouring house.

The court heard that the damage caused to the roof and the satellite dish came to around €1,200.

Dandy has 27 previous including one for arson in Virginia District Court, Cavan.

Fiona Murphy BL, defending, said her client was “seriously intoxicated” and thought he was breaking into his mother’s home. She said he is an only child and has a strained relationship with his mother.