Man with 161 previous convictions jailed after burglary at betting shop in Cork

A Cork man clambered up on to a building’s flat roof and then broke a window into a betting shop and now he has been jailed for ten months.

42-year-old John Paul Thornton of no fixed address pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to carrying out the burglary at Ladbrokes, Edward Walsh Road, Togher, Cork, on September 19.

Detective Garda Denis Callanan arrested the defendant, charged him with the offence and brought him before Cork District Court.

When Mr Thornton pleaded guilty, the detective said the burglary was committed at Ladbrokes overnight when he gained entry by breaking a small window upstairs at the back of a building. Access to this area had been secured via the flat roof of an adjoining building.

He was arrested soon afterwards, detained at Togher garda station and when interviewed he admitted the offence.

Det Garda Callanan testified that there was nobody present in the premises that night when the crime was committed.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis said the defendant had 161 previous convictions including five for robbery, six for burglary and six for theft.

Frank Buttimer, defence solicitor, said: 

“His situation had been somewhat challenging when younger. He had straightened out his situation in the last few years. He was clean of heroin addiction. He entirely stopped taking any unlawful substances.

“He suffered a relapse over the last 12 months – he loses everything, his family, his partner, his home.

“He was couch-surfing and living on the street. He got into St. Helen’s in Blarney (to get clear of intoxicants). This only happened two and a half weeks ago and he pleaded guilty."