A Lithuanian national with a record for robbery in County Monaghan and in his home country has pleaded guilty to going equipped for theft after he was detained by members of the local community in Derrylin, who noticed him acting suspiciously.

Tomas Politovas, 28, from Fairview Drive, Monaghan, appeared via video link at Fermanagh Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court heard that at 11pm on January 23, police received a report of a male being detained by members of the community on the Belturbet Road outside Derrylin. Police were advised that a male had been acting suspiciously whilst standing beside a dark Ford Focus that was parked on the Belturbet Road. 
When he was approached by locals he ran away and was later found walking along a road in a wet and dishevelled state.
When police arrived, they found a torch in his pocket. The locals advised police they had found a black rubber glove but the man had said it did not belong to him.
Police arrested and detained Politovas for going equipped for theft.
The following day, they carried out a search of the area in daylight and found a black woolly hat and the second black rubber glove. They noted that the gloves had been discarded about 10 metres apart.
During police interview Politovas said he had been with a friend in the dark Ford Focus and they must have taken a wrong turn. 
He said he had stopped to go to the toilet. He said he saw the lights of a car and went into the field and hid for two hours because “he was scared” and his friend drove off. He said he had a phone but was too scared to ring the police. He said the torch and hat were his but he denied owning the gloves.
The court heard that Politovas has no record in Northern Ireland but is on bail for an incident in County Monaghan in relation to the burglary of a rural property. 
Politovas is wanted by immigration officials for deportation back to Lithuania, where he has a record for robbery and possession of a pointed object in a public place. 
In 2011, he was extradited back to Lithuanian to carry out a sentence for robbery.
Politovas’ defence barrister Ciaran Roddy told the court this was “a fruitless enterprise” which was “of little sophistication.” He said Politovas had “held his hands up and is taking responsibility for his behaviour.”
He pointed out that Politovas has been in custody for over two months, which is the equivalent to a five-month prison sentence and will be deported, therefore he “will be unlikely to trouble anyone in this jurisdiction.”
District Judge Bonita Boyd sentenced Politovas to four months in prison.