Convicted for damaging camera at charity shop

A BENCH warrant has been issued for a Bandon man who failed to appear in court to face a charge of damaging a CCTV camera at a charity shop in the town last summer.

Michael O’Driscoll of 16 Bridge Street, Bandon did not appear to face the criminal damage charge at a recent sitting of Bandon District Court. Solicitor Pat Horan, who said that he normally represents him had received no instruction from him.

Daniel Szymanski, manager of the Gorta Shop on Bridge Street in Bandon, told the court that he discovered the CCTV camera broken outside the shop on July 17th last and that when he locked up the shop the night before the camera was in place.

‘The holder for the camera was broken and the camera fell down and we had to buy a new one,’ said Mr Szymanski.

‘I watched the CCTV footage which showed someone touching the camera and I recognised him as he lives upstairs over the shop. I didn’t talk to him but a few weeks later he came into the shop and started shouting at me for ringing the gardaí about the damage. He didn’t offer to pay for the damage either.’ Gda Theresa Lyons of Bandon Garda Station said that following a complaint she arrested the defendant on January 14th last.

‘He made certain admissions and said that he and his sister had been locked out of their flat over the shop and he stood on a ledge to open a window to try and get in,’ said Gda Lyons.

Solicitor Pat Horan said that Mr O’Driscoll acknowledges he put his hand on the window and that he didn’t damage the camera per se.

‘It was more that the wall mounting was damaged and he did offer €200 for the camera and this was not premeditated,’ said Mr Horan.

Judge James McNulty convicted him on the charge in his absence and directed that a bench warrant be issued for his arrest.