Police dog helped catch burglar red-handed in offices at Antrim Area Hospital
A man who pleaded guilty to entering offices at Bush House at Antrim Area Hospital with intent to steal, has been jailed.
Alexander Lennon (49), of Rathkyle in Antrim town, committed an offence on January 31 this year. He appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday, via video link from prison.
A prosecutor said that at 9.45pm on January 31 police received a report that somebody had gained access to Bush House and had smashed a fire alarm off a wall. There were blood marks on a wall and it was believed a suspect was still on the premises.
Officers and a police dog attended and a second fire alarm was found to have been smashed off a wall. Police noticed an office door had been forced in. The police dog indicated somebody was in a room and when officers entered the defendant was sitting inside.
When instructed to show his hands he "refused" and shouted at an officer. The defendant was "brought to the ground" and handcuffed. When interviewed he said he remembered going to the hospital and "wasn't really concentrating on anything else".
He was asked if he had any lawful purpose to enter Bush House he replied to police: "No, it is one of those things. You wake up and do something stupid and you wonder why you have done it at all".
A defence barrister said the defendant had gone to the hospital because he suffered "seizures" due to "epilepsy" and during such incidents "he describes voices and illusions". He said the defendant had little memory of what happened.
The barrister said the defendant had been "homeless, living on the street" with "an element of sofa surfing". He had no food and was "starving".
He was sorry for what he had done. The lawyer said the defendant hope to get the support of a family member and a "pastor" when released from custody. The defendant had 38 previous convictions.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said it was a "serious matter to break into any public property" and causing damage at a hospital was an "aggravating" feature.
The defendant was given a six months jail term.