Man’s ‘fit of bad temper’ led to criminal damage

AN Omagh man has been handed a suspended prison sentence for criminal damage which a Judge said was carried out a in a fit of “bad temper”.

Christopher Regan (27) from Cannon Hill who pleaded guilty to the attack, told the court he had more than repaid the total amount of damage caused to the building in Aughnacloy.

The court heard that on January 11 this year at 9pm, police heard a report of a male using a wheel brace to break into a property on Moor Street in Aughnacloy. Police officers observed 29 separate smash marks to the windows of the building and the security alarm of the building had also been damaged.

CCTV showed the defendant getting out of a vehicle and fighting with a male on the street and after the fight he got the wheel brace and went across the street and repeatedly smashed the windows of the property, before returning to the vehicle and leaving the scene.

District Judge Peter Magill said, “This was just bad temper”.

Defence counsel said Regan is from a well respected family and that he had been taking his frustration out by attacking the building after the fight.

Convicting Regan, the District Judge said, “You pleaded guilty to this, so I give you credit for that. I

“t’s important and makes a big difference and you paid £500 so that’s good and that’s actually a bit more than you needed to.

“I want to make sure you don’t do this again. This is just unacceptable.”

District Judge Magill imposed a sentence of two months’ imprisonment suspended for two years.

“Stay out of trouble for the next two years and that’s an end to it. But if you commit any offence for which you might be sent to prison, this will be waiting for you and you could get it on top of anything else,” the District Judge warned.