Drunk intruder asked Cork homeowner for electric bicycle charger

Anthony Foley of 20 The Maples, Bridgemount, Carrigaline, pleaded guilty to carrying out the burglary at 2am on August 19, 2021.

A Cork householder heard a noise from a downstairs room and went down to find a very intoxicated intruder asking him for a charger for an electric bicycle.

Anthony Foley of 20 The Maples, Bridgemount, Carrigaline, pleaded guilty to carrying out the burglary at 2am on August 19, 2021.

Defence solicitor Eddie Burke submitted to Judge Marian O’Leary at Cork District Court: “This would be quite a vulnerable young man.”

 Mr Burke suggested that another party may have taken the electric bicycle and sent Anthony Foley to the house to get the charger or battery for it.

The solicitor said that in the early hours burglary, Foley actually asked two men at the house for the battery for the electric bike.

Mr Burke said the bicycle was recovered shortly afterwards. 

“He does apologise. I have no doubt someone else was involved in the background. I know he has amassed a number of previous convictions,” he said.

Judge Marian O’Leary asked the young man: “Do you understand how upsetting it is to walk into someone’s home at 2am? I am worried about the people whose house you broke into.” 

Anthony Foley said: “I know — I am invading their privacy. But I’m not like that.” 

Sentencing

The judge said she would put sentencing back until October 26 and in the meantime she requested a garda progress report on the accused.

The burglary was carried out on August 19, 2021 when gardaí received a report of a burglary at Church Road, Blackrock, Cork, where the injured party reported that he and his housemate were upstairs in their home when he heard a noise downstairs.

Sergeant John Kelleher said: “When he went to check it out he was met with a male who was at the bottom of the stairs located in the sitting room. When the injured party asked the man what he was doing in here the man said: ‘Where is the charger for the bike?’" 

The injured party ushered the man out of the house. He believed the man was drunk or on drugs.” 

There was some dispute at the scene about the electric bike in the house and the defendant was later identified.

Foley, 29, pleaded guilty to the burglary.