NEIGHBOURS and Gardai responded so quickly to a burglary from a house in east Donegal, the culprit was caught soon afterwards, Letterkenny District Court has heard.
Dermot Roulston, who is 43 and who lives in Glenside, Strabane, later admitted a raid on a vacant house in Castledooey.
He stole a copper cylinder, causing €300 damage after he ripped it from the property.
Inspector Goretti Sheridan told the court that a neighbour raised the alarm and Roulston was arrested in Ballindrait within half an hour by Garda Eoin Waters.
“The cylinder was recovered from his vehicle shortly afterwards,” said Inspector Sheridan.
“A considerable amount of damage was done to the property from where the cyclinder was stolen.”
The court heard Roulston has previous convictions dating back to 1991 for larceny and burglary and had been jailed for a year at Lifford Court.
A defence solicitor said Roulston was originally from County Donegal but had been living in Tyrone for many years.
Judge Paul Kelly ordered Roulston to pay for the damage to the house two weeks ago and gave him until September to come up with the cash.
He said he would sentence Roulston then.