Man who walked in on student nurses in early hours in West Cork B&B admits trespass charge

Court heard accused was homeless and had mental health issues and had previously stayed at the B&B, and on the night in question he had entered the property because was 'desperate for somewhere to stay'

Bantry District Court was told accused had a suspended sentence for animal cruelty and previous convictions for public order offences. File picture: Dan Linehan

A man who entered a property without permission in the early hours of the morning has pleaded guilty to trespass in the district court.

Sergeant Trish O’Sullivan told Bantry District Court six student nurses had just moved into the Barry’s B&B at Harbour View, Bantry, in late November 2025.

In the early hours of November 24, 2025, the six women were sitting in the living room when at 1.10am, 47-year-old Steve Stawen, of no fixed abode and formerly of Hummingbird Hostel, Glengarriff, Co Cork, entered the property via the back door.

The court heard Stawen walked into the living room where the student nurses were sitting and claimed he was staying upstairs. The court was told the women “could not get much sense out of him” as he appeared to be intoxicated.

Defence solicitor Colette McCarthy said Stawen was homeless and had mental health issues. She said he had stayed at Barry’s B&B several years ago and on the night in question he had entered the property by opening a door because he was familiar with it and was “desperate for somewhere to stay”. 

The court was told Stawen had paranoid schizophrenia and a “long and difficult history since childhood”. 

Ms McCarthy said video footage taken by the nurses showed Stawen was not aggressive during the incident. 

She added her client was currently living in Cork City but had an offer of work for a tree surgeon in Glengarriff, but this was complicated by bail conditions from another matter preventing him from entering Glengarriff.

The court was told Stawen had a suspended sentence for animal cruelty and previous convictions for public order offences, as well as a probation bond for possession of a knife. The court heard Stawen’s current bail conditions did not require him to sign on at a Garda station.

Judge Joanne Carroll said Stawen was on a suspended sentence from the circuit court and walked into the property in Bantry without permission. She said Stawen “needs to be signing on”. 

Stawen was remanded on continuing bail to appear again on January 8, 2026, to deal with the matter, along with other pending issues.

His bail conditions were varied to require he signs on at Anglesea Street Garda Station in Cork on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

The conditions were further amended to order him to stay out of Bantry and Glengarriff “save for court appearances, medical appointments and work purposes”. The judge also asked for a probation report to be prepared.

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme