Man stole neighbour's underwear

A man described yesterday how his family was "disgusted and traumatised" after his next-door neighbour stole his daughter's underwear…

A man described yesterday how his family was "disgusted and traumatised" after his next-door neighbour stole his daughter's underwear from the family clothes-line.

Mr Joe Reeves, Glenanaar Avenue, Woodview Park in Limerick made his comments outside Limerick District Court after Eamonn McHale (38) was convicted of stealing the garments on a number of different dates in early October 2002. The court heard that McHale had taken "items of ladies underwear" from his next-door neighbour's clothes-line and had been found on a number of occasions climbing over a back wall returning the underwear.

McHale, a father of two children, who pleaded guilty, was given a six month suspended sentence and ordered to pay €3,000 to a nominated charity.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Reeves (64) said he was disappointed that the "deviant sexual nature of the offences" was not fully disclosed in court. He installed a video camera in his house for four nights in a row in a bid to catch the person responsible for taking the underwear.

READ MORE

McHale's solicitor said his client had been suicidal since the events and now only visits his children every second weekend.