A member of a gang which stole €4,600 worth of jewellery from a house in Co Meath was chased by cattle towards two waiting gardaí, Trim Circuit Court was told on Thursday.
Daniel Lawlor, (23), from Kiltalown Road, Tallaght in Dublin, pleaded guilty to burglary on June 8th, 2018 at Carne Hill, Johnstown, Navan.
Det Garda Pat Muldowney told prosecuting counsel Carl Hanahoe BL that a woman alerted gardaí when she spotted two men breaking into a neighbour's house whose owners were away on holiday. Another neighbour photographed the two men when they fled over a wall.
The court heard the getaway car drove down a cul-de-sac and the gang scrambled over a wall into a large field.
A garda cordon was put in place explained Det Muldowney, who added that he and a colleague – who were in position on the adjoining road – heard livestock running in the field and Lawlor was arrested. The detective agreed with the prosecutor that the cattle had taken up the chase. “They were of valuable assistance,” said Det Muldowney.
Lawlor’s DNA was later found on a makeshift balaclava discovered in the getaway car where gardaí also found two baseball bats.
The court heard the defendant admitted being in the car, but had not been one of the two men who stole the jewellery.
None of the other gang members were caught.
Judge Martina Baxter, who remanded the defendant on bail for urinalysis and a probation report to November, also commended the owner of the livestock "for being so alert".