Cork burglar who brought a pint of stout to crime scene was with woman in Minnie Mouse tracksuit

Man jailed for 18 months for stealing €5,000 in cash from Cork apartment

Gardaí said DNA from the glass matched the suspect.

A burglar who got away with €5,000 in cash from an apartment in Cork left his “calling card” in the form of a pint of stout that he brought with him. And his accomplice made her identification easier by wearing a distinctive Minnie Mouse tracksuit at the crime scene.

Interviewed about the burglary several times, Martin Hurley, aged 53, of no fixed address, made no comment but the pint glass of stout left at the crime scene was analysed and a DNA sample was located. This turned out to be a match for Hurley. Ultimately, he pleaded guilty to the burglary.

Today at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Sinead Behan sentenced him to two and a half years in prison with the last 12 months of that sentence suspended.

Detective Garda Patrick Houlihan said the burglary was carried out on August 24, 2024, at Millerd St, Cork.

“He entered the apartment complex carrying a pint glass with stout in it. This was captured on CCTV.

“He entered an apartment and stole €5,000 from a bedside locker. He is then seen exiting the complex. The pint glass was found on the kitchen table of the apartment and it did not belong to the tenant,” Det Garda Houlihan said.

The detective said that gardaí in Dublin arrested him on August 25 and he was allegedly in possession of a quantity of drugs and €2,700 in cash.

He was charged with the Millerd Street burglary and later pleaded guilty to it.

Martin Hurley was accompanied by Janice McCarthy, who is aged around 40, and she was described as playing a lesser role in the crime.

Judge Behan adjourned sentencing of Janice McCarthy until February 23.