Local man altered his electricity meter

Local man altered his electricity meter

20 August 2014

A BALLYNAHINCH man has been found guilty of tampering with his electricity meter.

Police suspected the crime in Ian Wilton’s Drumgiven Road home as they conducted a search in July 2013, during which a small amount of cannabis belonging to another member of the house was found.

As a result of their observations police then contacted Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE).

At Downpatrick Court on Monday an NIE employee told the court an illegal connection had been made in the box — a “deliberate bypass” which prevented the full amount of electricity used being recorded.

Wilton (49), who had a pre-pay meter, said he had hired an electrician to put lighting in his garage at the same time its roof was being repaired.

He told Downpatrick Court on Monday that he paid around £600 for the job and hoped his landlord would refund him.

A defence barrister pointed out that only an old drill and radio had been 

found in the garage, nothing that would have used significant amounts of electricity.

An electrical engineer also gave evidence on behalf of the defence, stating that workmen sometimes altered the box if they ran out of electricity on a job.

However, District Judge Greg McCourt said that as Wilton, of Drumgiven Road, was on benefits, his story of paying such a sum of money for the electricity work was not plausible.

“It just does not make sense that you would get an electrician to come and pay £600 when it is the landlord’s responsibility,” he said.

Mr. McCourt found Wilton guilty two counts — one of preventing a meter from registering an electricity supply and one of possessing a cable in connection with a fraud — but dismissed a charge dishonestly using electricity.

Pre-sentence reports were ordered for September when he will be sentenced.