Trail of blood matched DNA of office burglar, Cork court hears

A shovel was used to break open the door of an apartment building in Cork by a man who also broke into a pub and left a trail of blood in an office after smashing a window to burgle the premises.

Two of these crimes were committed by 35-year-old Jonathan O’Sullivan of 30 Fairfield Avenue, Farranree, Cork, in April this year and another in September last year and now he has been given a ten-month jail term for three counts of burglary and one of heroin possession.

Frank Buttimer solicitor said the accused had done exceptionally well in the past in rehabilitation from a serious heroin addiction but had unfortunately relapsed.

Sergeant John Kelleher said that on April 26 this year he forced entry through fire escape doors at Crawford & Co. licensed premises and stole property.

On the same date at Coppergate House, Anglesea Terrace, the defendant and two others broke in causing damage to a front door using a shovel. A person passing by at the time saw the burglary in progress and used his phone to record the incident which involved the use of the shovel to break open the front door, which was extensively damaged.

He was later identified leaving the area with a blue carrier bag which he did not have at the time of the break-in. The defendant was arrested later that day and had €50 worth of heroin.

The office burglary occurred at South Mall, Cork, where the owners arrived on September 4 2022 to find that a window had been broken and €105 cash had been stolen. There was a trail of blood left at the scene which was forensically examined and matched the DNA of the accused.

He had 26 previous convictions for theft, three for burglary and two for handling stolen property.

Mr Buttimer said that while the accused had previous convictions the defendant had been notable for the substantial time and effort he had put into rehabilitation from drug addiction in the past but unfortunately relapsed. The solicitor said the accused was now rehabilitating again.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed the sentence at Cork District Court.