Enniskillen Court House, RMGFH04
In one of the more bizarre cases heard in local court recently a 22-year-old Enniskillen man has been cleared of stealing his cousin’s trainers.
Ryan Mark Masterson, of Cornagrade Road, had his contest dismissed at Enniskillen Magistrates Court, after his cousin Michael Boyd admitted the pair had been “drinking for a couple of days” and he had lent them to him.
Taking the stand Michael Boyd told the court that from March 8 into the early hours of March 9, 2015 he had been drinking at his uncle’s house with his two cousins, one of whom was the defendant.
Boyd said he was half asleep when Masterson said he was going to the shop, but was wearing a pair of old trainers with the soles hanging off them. He told the court he lent his black and green trainers to Masterson and the defendant went to the shop. The injured party said he
did not recall Masterson coming back to the house and explained that he had not seen his cousin since.
Under cross-examination, defence barrister Stephen Fitzpatrick asked Boyd if in the cold light of day and in cold sobriety his decision to call the police was the wrong one. He put it to Boyd that he had lent Masterson the trainers and did not steal them. Mr Boyd admitted this was the case: “No he didn’t steal them”.
In light of the injured party’s evidence district judge Nigel Broderick dismissed the case. The judge recognised Boyd’s struggles with alcohol and described him as a “vulnerable witness”.
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