Fingerprints were found on pool cue

Sean Michael Joseph McAvoy, Epworth Close, Tandragee, admitted criminal damage to a window on June 13 last year.

The court heard that at approximately 3pm police received a report of a broken window at Catherine Street in Newry.

Sometime between 11.30am and 3pm someone had scaled a gate into a closed yard and used a pool cue to break a window which cost £200 to repair.

Fingerprints from the cue matched those of the defendant.

When he was interviewed on October 21 McAvoy said that at the time of the offence he had been under the influence of drugs and did not remember anything.

He accepted that if the fingerprints on the cue belonged to him it must have been him who did it. He did not know the injured party.

The case had been adjourned from a previous court so that a pre-sentence report could be obtained.

The court was told McAvoy was in breach of suspended sentences.

A barrister representing the defendant said he had been keeping away from drugs and making some progress doing community service.

He added that his client had an ‘appalling record’ but it would be counter productive to send him back to prison and asked the court to stay its hand in activating the suspended sentences.

District Judge, Mr Paul Copeland, said that in the interest of justice he would not impose the suspended sentences.

He ordered McAvoy to do a further 100 hours community service which would follow on from his existing order. The judge said that the defendant was making an effort to turn things around by keeping out of trouble.

He also ordered McAvoy to pay £200 compensation for the damage he caused.