Enniskillen Court House
A MAN who burgled his ex-partner’s sister house while she was on holidays has been given a six month suspended sentence.
Mindaugas Cetrauskas (31) of Kelleir Park, Derrylin appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court charged with burgling a house at Forthill Road, Enniskillen.
On April 3rd 2016 police received a report from the injured party who stated that she had just returned home from holiday to find that someone had burgled her home.
She noted that things had been moved and an open beer bottle was on the hall table, but it wasn’t there when she left on her holiday.
The court heard that $1,000 US dollars had been taken from a wardrobe in a bedroom and £100 had been taken from her daughter’s bedroom.
The court also heard that the injured party had locked all the doors and windows before leaving. Forensics attended the scene and materials from the beer bottle matched the defendant’s DNA.
Defence Barrister Ciaran Roddy, told the court that this was a domestic burglary and it was premeditated, but that the incident was committed during a heavy drinking binge. He also said that the house belonged to people that the defendant has a connection with and that they were out of the country so there was no prospect of confrontation, no forced entry and no damage done to the house.
Cetrauskas had both sums of money stolen in court with him to pay restitution to the injured party.
Mr Roddy also told the court that the defendant wanted to plead guilty as early as possible and that while he is no stranger to the court, he has no record for dishonesty.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said that the court takes domestic burglaries very seriously, and anyone who breaks into someone’s home can expect a custodial sentence as it is an invasion of privacy.
He also referred to the defendant returning the money to the injured party through the court, and said that if Cetrauskas was sent to prison, he would lose his job at a pizza parlour, but that he would have no-one to blame but himself.
Sentencing Cetrauskas he warned that he came very close to handing him a custodial sentence, and gave him six months in prison, suspended for three years.
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