Corkman claims he ripped tiles off widow's roof at 3am to protect himself from pursuers

The judge said the widow suffered 'torment and torture' as he jailed the defendant

The judge noted that Anthony Rutherford suffered from anxiety but also that he had previous convictions for causing criminal damage and burglary. File picture: Larry Cummins

A 79-year-old widow suffered ‘torment and torture’ after hearing a man ripping tiles off her roof at three o’clock in the morning and the man later claimed he was being pursued and climbed up on the roof purely for his own protection.

50-year-old Anthony Rutherford of Lus Na Meala, Banduff, Cork, was sentenced to eight months in prison on a charge that on October 17, 2021, he damaged €1,000 worth of roof tiles at a house at Fir Grove, Riverview Estate, Ballyvolane, Cork.