Woman returning home alleges burgler was in house

A woman returned to her Cork City home to find a man burgling the house having smashed glass in the front door to get inside.

That was the allegation made yesterday in the case against Liam Hurley, of 190 Farranferris Avenue, arising out of an investigation into a reported burglary on Thursday afternoon.

Hurley, aged around 30, was arrested and brought before Cork District Court yesterday where he was refused bail. Sgt Kevin O’Donnell said one of the reasons for the objection to bail was the seriousness of the charge and the strength of evidence.

He said it was alleged that at around 4.30pm, a woman returned to her home at Seminary Walk in Farranree and noticed that a pane of glass in the front door was smashed.

She could hear noises coming from her house and suspected that there was an intruder inside.

She contacted gardaí. They arrived and found the accused in the house with property from the house in his possession, it was alleged by Sgt O’Donnell. Judge Patricia McNamara refused bail and remanded the accused in custody on the April 4 burglary charge until April 11 at Cork District Court.

On solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher’s application, the judge recommended that he be considered for the methadone maintenance programme in the prison. Mr Kelleher said the prosecution outline of the case was accepted by the defendant.

Mr Kelleher said the accused started Thursday morning by taking heroin and drinking a bottle of whiskey as a result of a bout of depression and the next thing he remembered was waking up in the Garda station.