Co Antrim man breached his night time bail curfew because he wanted to 'feed the ducks'

Christopher Murray (24), with an address listed at Ballymoney Road, Ballymena, burgled a flat at Ballymoney Road when a 50-inch TV was stolen on December 13 last year.

In recent weeks a court had heard his bail conditions included a curfew from 10pm-7am but on January 9 this year he was located in Ballymena at 12.30am.

A police officer said the People's Park was close to the scene of the burglary at Ballymoney Road.

Defence solicitor Garrett Greene had told the earlier court he appreciated he was making an "unusual submission" but said the defendant instructed that "there are two ducks that he feeds in the People's Park in Ballymena".

He added: "He developed a fondness for the two ducks he had been feeding for some period of time. He had been in Ballymena and he had missed the last train home".

The solicitor added: "It is so incredulous that it could only be true because it is not the type of situation that somebody would create".

The earlier court heard Murrray had lived in Ballymena for two years.

He has now admitted burglary and possession of cannabis on December 13, 2022.

At Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday (January 26), a prosecutor said the defendant broke a window and entered a dwelling and took a TV around 12.50am on December 13. Murray had a "cannabis joint" in his hand when arrested.

Mr Greene said Murray had lent the owner of the TV, money which had not been repaid and the defendant "acted in an inappropriate way" by stealing.

The court heard the defendant, who had mental health and addiction issues, had 34 previous convictions.

District Judge Nigel Broderick said: "This was a worrying offence for the victim. To break into somebody's house in the early hours of the morning; smash the window; climb into the house and steal their TV is a serious offence".