Man walked into Cork school at lunchtime and looked through students' lockers

Court heard defendant went into the school with the intention of finding a socket to charge his electronic vape, which had gone dead. Picture: Denis Minihane

A man who walked into a Cork secondary school and looked through students' lockers has pleaded guilty to burglary contrary to Section 12. 1. a. of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001, entering a building as a trespasser with intent to commit an arrestable offence.

Sergeant Tom Mulcahy told Kinsale District Court sitting in Bandon that Emil Hudi, aged 32, of St John’s Terrace, World’s End, Kinsale, entered Hamilton High School in Bandon, Co Cork, without permission through the open front door on Monday November 14, 2025, at 12.58pm.

The court heard he walked through a hallway and entered the boy’s locker room, where he opened “numerous lockers”, looking inside them. Hudi did not take anything, the court was told, and he was captured on CCTV from which he was later identified and arrested in Blackpool, Cork City. 

When Hudi was interviewed, he admitted entering the premises without permission and looking through the lockers. The court was told Hudi had 75 previous convictions, including 30 for theft.

Defence solicitor Myra Dinneen said Hudi was waiting with a friend to be allowed into a nearby house for about 20 minutes and went into the school with the intention of finding a socket to charge his electronic vape, which had gone dead. 

Ms Dinneen said Hudi admitted looking in some of the lockers but he did not force any of them open and he did not take anything. 

The court was told Hudi had addiction issues with drugs and prescription drugs, which was the “underlying problem”. 

Judge Joanne Carroll said Hudi did not take anything “because there was nothing to take”. She said if he was looking for a socket, he did not need to go into the locker room. She told Hudi “you know what you need to do” in relation to his ongoing addiction problems. 

She sentenced Hudi to three months in prison backdated to January 9 since when he had been in custody. She added: “Just try this time to get off drugs.” 

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme