A man who trespassed at a Bandon secondary school said he had been looking for a socket to charge his vape.

Emil Hudi (32) of 2 St Johns Terrace, World’s End, Kinsale pleaded guilty to a burglary charge at Bandon District Court last week.

Sgt Tom Mulcahy told Judge Joanne Carroll that at 12.58pm on November 14th last the accused entered Hamilton High School on Laurel Walk in Bandon without permission.

‘He walked in through an open front door and wandered through a hallway and entered a locker room. He later left without taking anything but had looked at numerous unlocked lockers,’ said Sgt Mulcahy.

The court heard that the incident was captured on the school’s CCTV and gardaí identified the accused as the man who entered the school

‘He was later arrested on Skehard Road in Cork city and conveyed to Bandon Garda Station where he was interviewed and made admissions to entering the property without permission.’

The court heard that the accused has 75 previous convictions including 30 for theft offences and four for the possession of drugs.

Mr Hudi’s solicitor, Myra Dinneen said her client had been standing outside the school with a friend and they were waiting to go into a house in Allen Square.

‘They were there 20 minutes and it was drizzly and while waiting he went into the school and trespassed. After being arrested he said he was sorry. He had been smoking a vape which had gone dead and he was looking for a socket in the school,’ said Ms Dinneen.

She said nothing was pre-planned and he didn’t use force and just looked into a number of lockers but didn’t take anything.

However, Judge Carroll said he wouldn’t need to look into lockers if he was looking for a socket and queried if he would have stolen items if they were in the open lockers.

‘It was an illogical place to look for a socket. The fact of the matter is he was looking for more than a socket,’ said Judge Carroll.

Ms Dinneen said her client, who is currently serving a prison sentence for theft, has a drug addiction. Mr Hudi told the judge that he is doing his best in prison to beat his addiction, get clean of drugs and educate himself.

Judge Carroll sentenced him to three months’ prison.