Homeless Offaly man entered 'derelict' house in 'cry for help'

A HOMELESS man appeared before Tullamore District Court after illegally entering a boarded up council house in the town.

Darren Mongan (29), who had an address at 21 Chancery Close, Tullamore, admitted committing criminal damage at 25 Chancery Close on April 22 last.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan said gardai went to the house after receiving a report of a male taking down a board at a derelict council house.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said the man told gardai he had been staying with his brother and his family had been looking for a place to stay.

In a statement to the gardai, Mr Mongan said he wished to get a house from the council but they were failing to provide him with one “and he took matters into his own hands”.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said a statement had been received from Offaly County Council outlining that the accused did not have permission to enter the property.

Mr Mongan had 15 previous convictions, all of which were for road traffic offences, and the last of those was in 2014.

The man's solicitor, Donal Farrelly, described it as a “very sad case” involving a homeless man with five children, two of whom had special needs and two more with mental health difficulties.

His client got a key for the derelict house which was “freely available” and he went in and took the hoarding off.

He said the man was still homeless but was back living with his brother and he had committed the offence because he was very desperate at the time.

Mr Farrelly said it had been a “cry for help” more than anything else. Other than the hoarding there had been no damage and he had used a key to get in.

Judge Andrew Cody said it had been a “misguided enterprise” on the part of Mr Mongan and there were lots of people waiting for council houses and there were ways and means of dealing with the problem.

He applied the Probation Act but warned Mr Mongan that there should not be any repeat of what he had done.