No bail for heroin addict charged with burglary at Starbucks in Cork city

The judge said factors against him getting bail included the seriousness of the charges, the strength of evidence and the defendant’s ongoing addiction difficulties

The court heard it was alleged that the defendant kicked a front window of the premises until it smashed and this was seen on CCTV. File picture

A man was arrested and charged with involvement in a break-in to Starbucks on Princes St in Cork in the early hours of Tuesday, May 30.

Garda Kevin Roche arrested Kieran Quilligan and brought him before Cork District Court where he objected to bail being granted to the accused. Quilligan was charged with causing criminal damage to the front window of Starbucks and burglary at the premises.

Garda Roche said it was alleged that Quilligan kicked a front window of the premises until it smashed and this was seen on CCTV. It was further alleged that a second man went in to the premises and took a cash register which he handed to Kieran Quilligan who remained outside the premises.

Bail hearing

Judge Colm Roberts said factors against him getting bail included the seriousness of the charges, the strength of evidence and the defendant’s ongoing addiction difficulties. Eddie Burke, solicitor, called the accused to give evidence in his application for bail.

The defendant said he was about to get into Riverview apartments through Cork Simon Community and was on a methadone treatment programme.

The judge said there was a serious risk of re-offending and he was refusing bail. “The strength of evidence is too strong. The risk is too high,” he said and remanded the 48-year-old in custody until June 6.

Kieran Quilligan said he was on a methadone treatment programme and was reducing the amount of methadone each week. 

Judge Roberts referred to two doctors with an expertise in heroin addiction who had informed him that for some addicts it was necessary to stay on a high dose of methadone for an indefinite period and that reducing the quantity was not always recommended, even though some recovering addicts had a preference for reducing their methadone. 

Judge Roberts said that when methadone was reduced too quickly users sometimes ended up supplementing the reduced methadone with actual heroin.