Man was on bail when he took part in a burglary spree in County Roscommon

A 43-year-old man was on bail when he took part in a burglary spree in the county last August, which saw a car burnt out and thousands of euro in cash and goods stolen, Roscommon Circuit Court heard.

At the court the man was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for burglary with other sentences to run concurrently.

Judge Kenneth Connolly said it was an aggravating factor that the burglaries were quite clearly a premeditated spree. “These types of offences terrify local communities,” the judge added.

The court was told that Joseph Cahill, with an address at Bawnlea Avenue, Jobstown, Tallaght, Dublin 24 had 129 previous convictions, 83 of which were committed while on bail. Most of these were also theft offences, the court heard.

Earlier this year, Mr Cahill pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary, one count of theft, and one of criminal damage. A charge of arson was taken into consideration. The pleas were made on a full facts basis.

The court heard that the accused had a significant drug debt. A letter of apology in which Mr Cahill promised not to offend again was also handed into court.

The judge said that the accused’s drug addiction was a “dual tragedy” for himself and a “horror” for society.

Sentencing, Judge Connolly said that the accused had a very difficult past but had a shameful number of previous convictions, saying that he had only been released from prison in January 2024. There was also a lack of financial restitution, he noted.

*See full report in the Roscommon Herald's print edition.