Cork burglar identified through DNA sample left on pint of stout  

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.

His accomplice made her identification easier by wearing a distinctive Minnie Mouse tracksuit at the crime scene.

Interviewed in relation to the burglary on several occasions, 53-year-old Martin Hurley, of no fixed address, had made no comment.

However, 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.

This week 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.

Burglary

Detective Garda Patrick Houlihan said that 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,” he said.

“This was captured on CCTV. He entered an apartment and stole €5,000 from a bedside locker,” he added. 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.

Arrested

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

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

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 Ms McCarthy until February 23, 2026.