Co Mayo man on trial charged with spate of telecom vandalism offences

A man from County Mayo has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to 33 offences alleged to have occurred at telecommunications and utility sites across Mayo and Galway between September and October 2023. Adrian Behan, aged 44, of Ballyfarna, Belcarra, Castlebar, faces 23 criminal damage charges and 10 counts of theft. He was arrested on 13 September 2023 after gardaí discovered him cutting GPS cables belonging to Eir near Charlestown. At Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, Detective Garda Keith Coleman gave evidence that equipment belonging to RTÉ, ESB, Mayo County Council, Eir, Vodafone and Three Ireland was either damaged or stolen across multiple locations including sites near Castlebar, Balla, Claremmorris and Knock in Mayo, and in Leenaun, County Galway. The court heard that service disruptions resulted from the alleged incidents. The trial, before Judge Eoin Garavan, is expected to conclude this week.