Man came from Dublin to vandalise homes in Mayo over drug debts

A man who was a member of a drug debt intimidation gang used a hammer to smash the windows of four homes in Mayo.

Bervey Elobo, aged 26, of Hamilton Terrace, Balbriggan, Co Dublin pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal damage when he appeared before Judge Eoin Garavan at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.

Three co-accused are yet to enter a plea.

The court heard Elobo was ‘unlawfully at large’ in relation to another offence and under the influence of cocaine when he carried out the crimes.

Sgt Noel Crinnegan told the court that Elobo and another male travelled from Dublin to Mayo by train on January 4th, 2026. They met up at a Castlebar petrol station with two Mayo men who are alleged to have acted as guides.

The quartet then travelled to homes in Westport and Newport where windows were smashed as an act of intimidation over drug debts.

At 8.35pm a house at Cuirt an Tobair in Westport was targeted. Three front windows of the home were smashed. Four minutes later, a residence at Monument View, Westport was targetted. 

The men then travelled to Doogary in Newport and Fahy, outside Westport, where the front bedroom window of a property at Doogary was smashed and a bedroom window of a home at Fahy was also damaged.

Some of the occupants of the Fahy home heard the window being smashed and pursued the car carrying Elobo and his three co-accused. The suspects' vehicle was abandoned in a cul de sac on the Fahy to Westport Road and the occupants fled the car.

A number of road checkpoints were set up by Gardaí and the two suspects from Mayo were arrested when they were stopped while travelling in another car. Sgt Crinnegan said one of the men had summoned his father to collect him.

Gardaí responded to a report of two men acting suspiciously on the Lodge Road in Westport. Elobo and the other Dublin man were found hiding under a mobile home in a steel yard.

Elobo made certain admissions when questioned and took responsibility for breaking the windows of the properties with a hammer.

He was asked why he commited these offences and replied – “Drug related.” 

Elobo then told officers that all three houses owed drug money "from sons" and "needed to pay". The court heard that no victim impact statements have been provided in the case.

Elobo has 16 previous convictions. He is currently in custody on another matter and was ‘unlawfully at large’ having been convicted in his absence at the time of the Mayo offending.

Barrister Diamuid Connolly, representing Elobo, said his client’s court appearance coincides with the shocking drug-debt related murder of a mother, father and two of their children in Waterford.

“You can imagine from a defence counsel point of view, the timing of this particular hearing is quite difficult in light of events which occurred in this country during the week,” said Mr Connolly.

“It is clear that this type of offending is a broad spectrum. With what happened in Waterford being the absolute out limit of awfulness of it, and I respectfully submit that what occurred here is at the opposite end of that. That’s not to say it’s trivial, or not serious but it’s diametrically opposed to that which occurred in Waterford,” he added.

The barrister said Elobo entered an early guilty plea. He said his client is “inextricably linked to and caught up in the drug world".

Mr Connolly said Elobo is attempting to address his addiction issues in prison.

The legal representative said Elobo missed the birth of his first child while in custody. He said Elobo comes from a “good family” and has a history of employment.

Judge Garavan said this was an “act of intimidation” which was carried out in a “professional” and “brazen” manner. He said Elobo had carried out the “dirty work” of those higher up the ladder in the drugs trade.

“He was on the run, he was unlawfully at large, and he travelled down from Dublin to Westport quite openly,” the judge remarked.

Judge Garavan imposed a two and a half year prison sentence.

“I am not prepared to suspend it or anything, it’s far too serious,” he concluded.

• Published as part of the Courts Reporting Scheme.