A Co Antrim man who said he stole a bicycle to get home has been sentenced to seven months.
William Carrigan was arrested after being spotted riding the mountain bike near the Westlink area of Belfast in the early hours of the morning.
The 37-year-old, of Glenkeen Drive in Carrickfergus, admitted theft and a separate charge of disorderly behaviour. Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard Carrigan was stopped by police on January 19 this year.
He identified himself and told officers that he had taken the bike from Tates Avenue in the south of the city.
“He said it was just on the street and he took it to get home,” a prosecution lawyer submitted.
“The owner later confirmed that he had secured it by a metal lock to a wall.”
Defence counsel Richard McConkey said Carrigan had not broken any security chains.
“He found it, knew it wasn’t his, but cycled off on it. It’s low-level theft,” the barrister said. In a separate incident, his client was arrested on June 19 after being discovered shouting abuse near his home.
Police warned him to calm down, but had to use CS Spray due to his aggression, the court was told. Mr McConkey urged against sending Carrigan to prison, arguing that it could undo progress in dealing with his addiction issues. But Judge Austin Kennedy described the defendant’s record as “appalling”.
Pointing out that Carrigan was in breach of suspended sentences for previous thefts, Mr Kennedy told him: “My hands are tied. You were fully aware at that stage of the consequences of not adhering to the terms.”
Imposing a five-month sentence for stealing the bike, the judge also ordered him to serve a further two months for the earlier offences. Carrigan was granted bail pending an appeal against the prison term handed down.
