Caused damage to window at homeless shelter

Pearse Patrick Starrs, whose address was given as Methodist Mission, Crawford Square, pleaded guilty to criminal damage on July 15, last year.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard police were called to the Simon Community after a male broke a window.

They provided officers with a description and 28-year-old Starrs was apprehended a short distance away.

He had lacerations to his hand which were consistent with him putting his fist through a window.

Starrs was taken to hospital for treatment and during a later police interview claimed he had no memory of the incident.

However, he did offer to pay for the damage to the window.

The court heard the window was fixed by a handyman and there was no estimate of the damage caused or the cost of repair.

It was revealed Starrs was completing a probation order when he caused the damage.

Defence solicitor Derwin Harvey said his client’s partner was residing in the Simon Community at the time and they were both homeless.

He added that the 28-year-old had been a chronic alcoholic but has now obtained his own accommodation and is no longer drinking.

District Judge Oonagh Mullan imposed a conditional discharge for 12 months and warned Starrs ‘as long as you stay out of trouble that will be the end of the matter’.