A MAN who said that he had been given permission to remove copper piping from a house due for demolition, hid behind a couch when gardai came on the scene, a court heard.
Jonathan Curtin(21) of 13 Yeats Avenue, admitted he was removing copper piping form a house at Mountain View in O’Malley Park on January 30 last.
The court heard from Inspector Paul Reidy that gardai arrived at the house to find a “large bolt cutters at the front door. Mr Curtin was hiding behind a couch”.
The Limerick District Court heard that Mr Curtin had 108 previous convictions, all for road traffic offences.
Mr Curtin’s solicitor, John Devane, said that his client had been “working on an ad-hoc basis for the firm responsible for demolishing these houses under the Regeneration project. He had asked the builders if he could take the copper and was told he could”.
Mr Devane said that Mr Curtin “was constantly getting into trouble. as a young person. with driving offences.
“He has been out of trouble for some time now”.
Judge Eugene O’Kelly asked why Mr Curtin was hiding behind the couch if he believed he had permission to take the copper?
“Panic” Mr Devane said.
Judge O’Kelly remanded him on bail for a probation report to November 8.
