Alleged burglar left his dog behind at crime scene following break-in
CCTV footage allegedly showed man leaving his own house with dog but later heading in direction of Goldenbridge without pet
An alleged burglar named Michael McDonagh, 27, left his dog behind at a crime scene in Dublin following a break-in, according to court testimony. McDonagh, from Emmet Crescent in Inchicore, faces charges including theft, burglary, trespassing, criminal damage, and obstructing a garda. He was arrested in the early hours of March 8th after incidents at West Terrace, also in Inchicore.
The prosecutor alleged that McDonagh entered a residential property, stole an electric bicycle and keys, and later disabled the bicycle. According to the garda, McDonagh claimed he went out for cigarettes and had bought the bicycle from a "crackhead". He was seen walking the bicycle when stopped by the police. CCTV footage reportedly showed McDonagh leaving his own house with his Staffordshire bull terrier, but then heading towards Goldenbridge without the dog.
The dog was left behind at one of the burglary scenes and recognized by an occupant, who took it in. McDonagh's defense lawyer pointed out that his client's height did not match the description given to the police. The judge granted bail to McDonagh with conditions, including no contact with witnesses, staying away from the crime locations, daily reporting to a Garda station, residing at an alternative address, surrendering his passport, and providing a contact phone number.
A return for trial order was set for October 22nd at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with trial date pending approval by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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