A man accused of breaking into a staff room at the Canal Court Hotel in Newry has been denied bail.
Thomas Carthy, 31, of St Christopher Park, appeared before Armagh Magistrates’ Court – sitting in Newry – on Tuesday, charged with criminal damage.
It was reported that on Monday, May 26, at approximately 3.05am, staff at the Canal Court noticed that someone had broken into the secure staff room, completely destroying the door to gain entry.
Police reviewed CCTV footage from within the hotel, which showed that at approximately 2.15am, a male wearing a blue hooded coat with a red baseball cap underneath the hood was seen emerging from the private kitchen area.
The man in the footage was then seen leaving the hotel and entering the rear car park.
As a result, police searched the area and found Carthy hiding behind a van in the car park. He matched the description of the man seen on CCTV – aside from the hooded coat and red cap, which were located underneath the van where Carthy had been hiding.
At 4.48am, Carthy was arrested on suspicion of burglary and attempted theft. When cautioned, he replied, “I didn’t do that.”
A police officer, objecting to bail, said Carthy had 31 previous convictions and was currently being managed by the Reducing Offending Unit at Newry PSNI station.
The officer stated that Carthy had also been arrested the previous week for theft from a local Spar store, as well as for another theft matter.
Defence barrister Conor Coulter said: “I appreciate this is not the easiest application, given the recent history.”
Mr Coulter said his client “denies the allegations”.
“I understand that he gave an account to police during interview that he was attempting to use a bathroom within the hotel premises. I have to concede that this may be viewed in a certain light by the court, given the time of morning and indeed his recent criminal record.”
Mr Coulter requested bail with strict conditions and suggested a ban on entering all retail premises in the Newry area.
He added: “His young wife will be alone in the caravan with three very young children. It is in those circumstances that he essentially throws himself before the court, pleading for bail.”
However, District Judge Anne Marshall retorted: “He wasn’t changing nappies at 2.15 in the morning when he was out at the hotel. So it will come as no surprise, I hope, to you or Mr Carthy, that I couldn’t take the risk of him being released on bail. There is a very high and real risk of reoffending.”
The case was adjourned until June 18.
