Phantom Pooper | 

Revealed: Man broke into ‘every house in two mile radius’ and pooped in beds

“He literally made s**t of the place”

Today at 15:10

THIS is the man who has terrorised elderly neighbours in a rural community by breaking into their homes and pooping in their beds — before making off with cash and booze.

Brian O’Sullivan (38), of Rathnaroughy, Innishannon, west Cork, has been before the courts a number of times for breaking into his neighbours’ homes in the rural townland.

Sources say O’Sullivan has broken into pretty much every house within a two-mile radius of his own home and on multiple occasions has defecated in people’s beds and around their property.

He has stolen money and alcohol during the break-ins and his victims have included people in their 80s and 90s.

O’Sullivan was described as a “menace” to his neighbours at a recent court hearing.

He was sentenced to 20 months behind bars last October for break-ins at the homes of two elderly widows in Rathnaroughy that left his victims terrified.

He committed those offences while on bail for previous incidents.

His 20-month sentence was reduced to 14 months at an appeal hearing in December when he said he would go into treatment for alcohol when he gets out of prison.

Sources said locals are fearful the crime spree will continue when he returns to Rathnaroughy.

“There isn’t a house within a two-mile radius he hasn’t broken into and some of them he has broken into multiple times,” a source said.

“It happens every day when he is out. It’s day after day.”

The source said one elderly widow returned from a day out to discover O’Sullivan in her bedroom last August and he had defecated in her bed.

“He literally made s**t of the place,” the source said. ”It was destroyed. He went into her bedroom, had raided the house and s**t on the bed. He completely soiled the place. He had the place wrecked.”

In the same week another widow in her late 80s was asleep in her home when O’Sullivan broke into her house, and once again he had defecated there.

“That woman was left terrified as well. She was in there on her own in bed when he broke in. Her son went up after her alarm went off and saw him running away from the house.”

Other victims include a man in his 90s, who has since passed away, who came home to find O’Sullivan going through his house. After rifling through his home, brazen O’Sullivan then asked the elderly man for a lift home.

He has also broken into homes where teenagers have been alone at the time.

“He has been in every home and will go in whether there are people inside or not,” the source said.

What has particularly disgusted locals is that in several cases, as well as stealing money and alcohol, he defecated in the homes of his victims.

“He destroyed some of the houses and people had to clean them up and throw out soiled bedclothes and all that. It’s horrendous,” the source said.

The crimes have ramped up over the last five years and locals are at the end of their tether.

“He has just tormented people,” the source said.

At one stage O’Sullivan had aspirations of becoming a pilot and had applied to go into training for a career in aviation, but those plans fell through.

In many cases when locals found O’Sullivan in their homes, they didn’t even report him to gardai. but after his criminal activity ramped up in recent years, he was reported to authorities and arrested.

O’Sullivan has told gardai in many cases he doesn’t even remember committing the crimes.

In December, The Southern Star newspaper reported on O’Sullivan’s appeal hearing during which he was described as a “menace” to his neighbours.

At the hearing, Judge Dara Hayes said the offences were clearly serious and the people of Innishannon were entitled to live in their homes in peace.

“No woman should arrive home to face that situation and it must have been a terrifying experience for both elderly women,” said Judge Hayes.

Judge Hayes suspended the final six months of his 20-month sentence but said there must be a clear undertaking from O’Sullivan to stay away from his neighbours and go into rehab.

A number of conditions were attached to the suspended part of the sentence including that he keeps the peace, be of good behaviour and commit no offence for a period of 12 months.

O’Sullivan was also directed to take part in residential treatment for alcohol addiction.

He has a number of previous convictions for trespass, criminal damage and public order offences.

At a previous court hearing last year, another judge said his parents, who O’Sullivan lives with, are broken by his behaviour.

“His parents are broken and have done everything they can for him. I think they are blinded by love and not exercising sufficient practical supervision,” the judge said.