Man was looking in the window after midnight and trying to open the door of a house in Abbeyleix

A man was trying to open the door of a house and staring in the window of a property in Abbeyleix. 

David Byrne (37) of Apartment 3, St Francis House, Gort na Nóir, Abbeyleix, interfered with a car and stole €5 in change at Corran na Nóir on April 17, 2025 and he trespassed at a property at Corran na Nóir and another property  at Gort na Nóir on the same date. He also stole two cans of 4Loco valued at €11.50 from Centra, Main Street, Portarlington on September 15, 2025 and had drugs for personal use at Portlaoise Train Station on June 5, 2024. 

Anne Doyle BL said her client had €200 in compensation in court and was engaging with a counsellor. She said a probation report had been prepared in the case. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the man took €5 from a vehicle parked in the driveway of a house. He said the defendant was observed on CCTV exiting the vehicle. He approached the house and attempted to open the front door before walking around the side of the house. 

“Another injured party reported a male at his front door at 12.12am”, said Sgt Kirby. The injured party told Gardaí the man looked in the front window before he “attempted to turn the handle of the door a number of times”. The man caught the accused by surprise when he answered the door and the defendant “muttered an excuse” before leaving, said Sgt Kirby. 

He said the man was with a woman when he was stopped and searched at Portlaoise Train Station. The man walked into Centra in Portarlington and concealed two cans of alcohol in his trousers before leaving the shop on September 15, 2025 at 12.30pm, said Sgt Kirby. He said the alcohol wasn’t recovered. 

Sgt Kirby said the man had 77 previous convictions. The injured parties in the case were canvassed for a victim impact statement but declined to make one, said Sgt Kirby. 

Judge Susan Fay said she had a probation report and asked that the man be given a same  day assessment for community service. 

When the case was called again, Judge Fay sentenced the man to 18 months in prison suspended for two years on condition he engages with addiction and employment services. She also sentenced him to 80 hours of community service in lieu of five months in prison and she issued a 12 month supervision order.