Suspended prison term for unemployed Belfast man who stayed at top hotel after '£3,000' bet came up but then trashed room during drink binge
A man on benefits who had gone on a drinking binge and caused damage at a hotel in County Antrim after a '£3,000' bet was won, has received a six months prison term, suspended for a year.
Brendan Devine (27), formerly of Limestone Road in Belfast but now with an address given as Sandyknowes Drive in Newtownabbey, admitted causing criminal damage to furniture and walls at The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat in Templepatrick on September 28, 2022.
A prosecutor previously told Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, police received a report of two male guests causing damage at the hotel where a room was smashed up. The men were arguing and shouting at staff.
Staff told police "significant damage" costing "£1,898" had been caused by the men. The other man had also previously been dealt with at court.
A defence barrister said after a £3,000 bet had been won the men had been at the Galgorm Resort where they were asked to leave "because of their behaviour".
He said their "drinking continued" when the men then booked into The Rabbit Hotel. The lawyer admitted it had been an "unwarranted piece of random destruction to a hotel room". The barrister said all of the £3,000 money was spent.
He added: "They had been at the Galgorm for a matter of days. They spent their time drinking and on hotel bookings. Both hotels are not cheap and they enjoyed the full facilities of the hotels."
District Judge Nigel Broderick had told the earlier court it had been "atrocious behaviour". Both men had originally been ordered to do 100 hours of Community Service and they were also put on Probation for a year.
The judge had said because the men were on benefits he did not believe they would be able to pay back the full amount of restitution but he ordered each man to pay £400.
Devine has now been back at court for breaching the Combination Order. He had completed all the hours of Community Service but had yet to fully comply with a Probation element where he had been required to attend Inspire addiction services.
The judge revoked the Combination Order and replaced it with a suspended jail term. He said the defendant had been fortunate not to have been jailed at the original court.