Man jailed over two train attacks

A man who caused nearly £18,000 worth of damage to two trains with a stolen safety hammer has been jailed for nine months.

Richard Gilmore, 25, smashed 13 windows on the Belfast-Dublin Enterprise service and shattered two panes on another train last December.

Gilmore, of Grangeville Gardens, Belfast, admitted criminal damage, theft and aggravated trespass.

Defence said he committed the offences after binging on drink and steroids.

Prosecutors told Belfast Magistrates Court that CCTV footage captured the safety hammer being stolen after two men boarded a service from Great Victoria Street to Lisburn.

A conductor who challenged the thief was verbally abused, the court heard.

With nearly £3,000 worth of damage caused to that train, a later attack was launched on the Enterprise service after two men were seen on the track between Balmoral and Finaghy stops.

Small circular holes were punched in 13 windows, and the cost of repairs was put at almost £14,800.

A defence lawyer said Gilmore, a former call centre worker, had pleaded guilty at an early stage.

Jailing him for nine months, District Judge Fiona Bagnall said: "The criminal damage is aggravated by the fact that it was caused to a train, which is a public amenity, and the expense is considerable."