'˜Sinister element' to group of drunken men

Vitalijs Luksa (38), Spelga Park, Lurgan, admitted criminal damage to a window on November 19 last year.

He was fined £350 and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

The court heard that at 6am police responded to a call of a disturbance at Dill Avenue in Lurgan involving a number of foreign national males. The defendant was amongst them.

The occupant of the address said she had been awakened by the disturbance and went downstairs where she saw a number of males in the back garden.

A window was broken and she recognised the defendant as a friend of her ex-boyfriend. He shouted at her and all the males left the premises.

When interviewed Lukas said he had been out drinking and was going to speak to someone he thought lived at the property. He denied any damage to the window.

Mr Pat Vernon, representing the defendant, said his client had been out for the night with a group of friends and drink was on board.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, asked why anybody would think it was a good idea to set up camp just to scare someone who lived there.

Mr Vernon said it was ‘misguided loyalty’ to a friend.

Judge Kelly added that there was a ‘very sinister element’ with someone trying to break in where a lone female lived in the house and a group of men fuelled by alcohol.

“You don’t need to tell me what this female would have been thinking when these people were trying to break into her house,” she commented. The judge asked the defendant: “Do you have any idea how scared and frightened this young lady might have been when a group of drunken males turned up and tried to break in.”

Through an interpreter Luksa replied: “I understand, yes.”