SERIAL OFFENDER | 

Burglar with 179 convictions used angle grinder to break into car park office

Zachary Purcell was committing offences to feed his severe drug addiction, his solicitor claimed.

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A burglar who caused nearly €2,000 worth of damage as he smashed doors and broke into a caretaker’s office in an apartment complex car park has been jailed for six months.

Zachary Purcell had 179 previous convictions and was committing crime to feed a drug habit at the time. Judge Bryan Smyth sentenced him when he appeared in Dublin District Court

Purcell (34), of no fixed address, admitted burglary and criminal damage.

The court heard the accused got in the underground car park at an apartment complex at King’s Inn Street, Dublin on June 5, 2021.

He attempted to open a number of locked internal doors before breaking open the caretaker’s office and taking an angle grinder. The total value of the damage was €1,906.

Separately, he damaged a window frame getting into an address at Granby Lane on July 10, 2021. He wandered around corridors there and was arrested and detained.

Purcell had 179 previous convictions for offences including burglary and criminal damage.

He was serving a 16-month sentence when he appeared in court.

Purcell was committing offences to feed his severe drug addiction, although he accepted this did not excuse his behaviour, his solicitor John Quinn said.

He was off all drugs since he went into custody and is taking steps to continue this on release. Judge Smyth said the accused had a significant number of previous convictions and had caused a “considerable amount of damage”.

He made the six months consecutive to the prison term Purcell is already serving.​