A Limerick salesman has been convicted of stealing women's underwear from his neighbour's clothes lines over a month last year.
The court heard that Eamonn McHale (38), from 3 Glenanaar Avenue, Woodview Park, Limerick, had taken "items of ladies underwear" from his next-door neighbour's clothes line in early October 2002. He had been found on a number of occasions climbing over a back wall returning the underwear.
The father of two - who pleaded guilty to the charges — was given a six-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay €3,000 to a nominated charity.
McHale's next-door neighbour, Mr Joe Reeves (64), explained how he installed a video camera in his house for four nights in a row in a bid to catch the person responsible for taking his 23-year-old daughter's underwear from the family clothes line.
Speaking after the hearing Mr Reeves - who has been living next door to the accused for 10 years - said he was disappointed that the "deviant sexual nature of the offences" was not fully disclosed in court.
Mr Reeves said he could never "forgive" McHale for the upset he had caused his family. "It's impossible to live next door to such an individual - how can you feel safe?" he added.
Mr Reeves said a six-foot high concrete wall separated his back garden with McHale's and he said he couldn't believe it when he saw his neighbour climbing over the wall to take the underwear.