A FISHGUARD burglar was found guilty of stealing a Marshall amplifier, Erbauer saw bench and a Sony microphone at Haverfordwest Court on Wednesday. 

David Donnelly, aged 26, of Heol Preseli, initially pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty after a trial. Prosecutor, Sara Lewis said: “On June 9 last year, the owner of Parke House in Manorowen noticed that it had been broken into. Two panes of glass at the top of the back door had been smashed and items had been stolen. Blood was found on the door and when analysed and it was found to be that of Donnelly. He was then arrested and interviewed. “The son of the victim said in his statement ‘I practise with my band at my dad’s house and after we had finished we put our kit away, which consisted of the Marshall amp and the mic and locked up. The next day I went to collect the kit and saw that there was a Fosters can on the lawn. I noticed that the door was damaged and there was a cigarette butt on the stairs. My kit had been stolen so I called my dad, who noticed that his saw bench had been stolen as well’.” Donnelly told the court: “I didn’t play any part in the burglary. On that night I was in a car with friends and we had been drinking and I was very drunk. I didn’t know we were going to this house and when we got there the other two people I was with got out of the car and went to the back to the house. “I sat in the car for five to ten minutes and got out to see where they were. There weren’t any lights on in the house but I thought they might be inside. I cut my hand on some glass and I walked into what I think was a front room and saw them picking things up and putting them in their pockets. I asked them what they were doing, and when I realised they were stealing I turned and walked away. I can’t remember much about what happened because I was so drunk.” Miss Lewis pointed out that in his statement he said that one of them went upstairs and one of them was still downstairs, and that to have cut his hand on the glass, he would have had to reach up to the top of the door. Defence solicitor, Mark Layton said: “Donnelly invited the police to send off the Fosters can and the cigarette butt for analysis. They were sent off but no analysis was made. This does not affect the prosecution’s case, but it does highly affect the defence.” Magistrates found Donnelly guilty due to the inconsistencies in his evidence and adjourned the case until July 29 for sentencing.