By Andrew Carey
TWO female students barricaded themselves into a room while an intruder tried to burgle their student accommodation, a court has heard.
Geoffrey Duggan, (25) of Cregan Avenue, Kileely, Limerick, was sentenced to five years in jail when he pleaded guilty to entering the building at Thomond Village, Old Cratloe Road, Limerick on November 23 last with the intention of committing an arrestable offence.
Judge Carroll Moran heard that the two terrified girls, along with a male friend, barricaded themselves into their room as Duggan forced his way into the building. It was Duggan’s second time trying to gain access the building after an earlier failed attempt.
The two girls and their male friend ran to their room for safety when Duggan forced his way in roaring and shoutng. He told them he was armed with a knife and broke a glass door. A bracelet was taken as he left still shouting threats at the students.
He tried to flee the scene but gardai confronted him in the stairwell of the student accommodation.
Defending counsel, Mark Nicholas, said Duggan did not have a knife and no knife was found at the scene.
Imposing a five year sentence for what he said was a very terrifying ordeal, Judge Moran said it was an unacceptable intrusion to a place where people resided, but “more alarming, he has previous convictions for similar offeces and also for assault causing harm.”
He suspended the last two years of the five year sentence and backdated it to last November when Duggan was taken into custody.
