Homeless Corkman living in tent in former neighbour's garden stole car owned by person in the area

Accused admitted to owner he had stolen his car from outside Mahon home and said it had a flat tyre and ran out of petrol before being abandoned in Glanmire, court told

Accused man had 68 previous convictions, one for unauthorised taking of a car, 12 for theft, 20 for being drunk and a danger and eight for engaging in threatening words or behaviour. Picture: Larry Cummins

A homeless man who was originally from the Mahon area was given permission by a former neighbour to pitch his tent in their garden but now he has been jailed for stealing a car belonging to another person in the area.

As details of the case were being put before Cork District Court in relation to 29-year-old Patrick Cummins of no fixed address on Friday, Judge Mary Dorgan recalled: “This is the gentleman who was living in a kind neighbour’s garden.”