Man jailed for breaking into Donegal holiday homes after watching TikTok videos

Stephen Maguire

A young man who broke into 19 holiday homes in Co Donegal after watching a TikTok video has been jailed for three years.

Timmy O'Gara left a trail of destruction behind him when he broke into the properties between April and July of 2023.

O'Gara appeared for sentencing before Donegal Circuit Court, facing nine different charges arising out of the break-ins.

The court heard evidence that the 23-year-old destroyed a number of holiday homes by breaking televisions, slashing sofas, breaking glass, and spraying graffiti.

Judge John Aylmer asked the court if they could put a combined value on the damage caused, but was told by Garda Sergeant Mark Colgan that this was not possible.

However, damage to just one of the holiday homes was estimated to be €30,000, while considerable damage was also caused to the Cloghan Lodge in Cloghan, including stealing an ornamental stag's head.

Details of the trail of destruction at the holiday homes in a range of villages, including Glencolmcille, Killybegs, Kilcar, Carrick, Teelin, and Cloghan were outlined to the court by state barrister, Ms Fiona Crawford, BL.

O'Gara, of Drimroe, Glencolmcille, was charged with nine offences on a full-facts basis but admitted to nineteen different break-ins.

Among the charges are that on a date unknown between May 1st, 2023, and June 26th, 2023, at Crowkeragh, Kilcar in Co Donegal he did enter a building known as the premises of Margaret McGill, Crowkeragh, Kilcar, as a trespasser and did commit an arrestable offence, to wit criminal damage therein.

He was also charged that on a date unknown between July 24th, 2023, and July 26th, 2023, at Cloghan Lodge, Cloghan, Lifford, did enter a building known as the premises of Michael McGinty as a trespasser and did commit an arrestable offence, to wit criminal damage therein.

The court was told that the accused has two previous convictions, one for careless driving and one for not having car insurance.

Barrister for the accused, Mr Simon Gillespie, BL, instructed by solicitor Mr Rory O'Brien, said O'Gara was adopted by his parents from Russia when he was one year old.

He had lived with his mother and father in Co Meath, but when his mother died, he and his father had moved to Glencolmcille, where his father was from.

Mr Gillespie said the accused had struggled with emotional issues and also struggled to make friends when he moved to Glencolmcille.

He began to associate with a group of peers who had found videos posted on TikTok of others breaking into abandoned homes and hanging out in them.

O'Gara and friends began to do this out of boredom, the court was told.

A probation report on the accused quoted O'Gara saying that he strongly denied that he intended to damage any of the properties when he entered them.

He broke into the properties out of boredom, curiosity and the influence of a peer group, the probation report heard.

The court was told that O'Gara is now deeply ashamed of what he did and has deep remorse for his victims.

The case was adjourned previously to allow the accused man to attend a Choice for Change programme which allowed him to gain some victim empathy and to change his lifestyle.

Mr Gillespie said this had been extremely beneficial for his client, as he now understands the effect his actions have had not only on his victims but also on their wider families.

He added that his client has been trying to find employment, but despite applying for 67 positions, he only received one reply and was not successful.

Mr Gillespie added that this was a result of reports of the case appearing on social media.

The court was told that O'Gara's father was very respected in the Glencolmcille area, where he worked as a plasterer and that some of the holiday homes his son had broken into and damaged belonged to people he was friendly with.

The barrister added that as a token of remorse, the accused had received €15,000 a part of an agreement with his father to offer as a token of remorse to his victims.

Mr Gillespie added that his client maintains he has a form of ADHD and that he left school after he suffered some bullying.

However, he now has a small group of friends who are a positive influence on him and is not maintaining links with other peers, he added.

Mr Gillespie added that his client admits his client's behaviour was reckless, but that the probation report showed that he is now of a low risk of reoffending and shows strong victim empathy.

He said he was asking the court to be as lenient as possible, admitting that his offer of €15,000 was a "drop in the ocean" for the overall damage caused, but said it was a large sum of money for Mr O'Gara and his family.

Passing sentence, Judge John Aylmer said the offences were of an extremely opportunistic nature and committed out of a sense of boredom.

He noted the "great deal of damage" done and that many of the homeowners didn't want to claim off their insurance for obvious reasons.

He said the aggravating factors were the sheer number of offences and the offences took place where people felt safe and were places of tranquillity in remote areas of the countryside, where they felt at peace and that they had now been robbed of this.

Judge Aylmer said there had to be a significant deterrent for this type of offending, given that holiday homes are such "easy targets."