Man who drove stolen car at gardaí gets six years
A man who drove a stolen taxi directly at a Garda checkpoint and later swerved towards a patrol van after gardaí ran to avoid being hit has been sentenced to six years for this and other offences.
Gary O'Brien (aged 22) was spotted by gardaí driving at speed and moving from one side of the road to the other while they were carrying out alcohol testing at the checkpoint in Rathmines. They indicated to the driver to slow down but he refused to do so and gardaí had to jump out of the vehicle's path.
Garda Jason Daly told Mr Damien Colgan BL, prosecuting, that the driver then swerved the car directly at a garda patrol van but manoeuvred out of the way before colliding with it.
Gda Daly said he and colleagues started to follow O'Brien who continued to drive dangerously, "with no consideration for other motorists", before he collided with a parked car.
O'Brien fled the scene but Gda Daly gave chase and arrested him minutes later.
Gardaí called at the taxi-driver's house the following morning to advise him that his vehicle had been in a collision.
He was not aware that it had been stolen and said he had left it locked but with a spare key in the glove box.
O'Brien, of Rathmines Avenue, Rathmines, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal to the unauthorised taking of a car, dangerous driving and driving without insurance on February 20, 2009. He was on bail for the robbery of a mobile phone and €150 in cash on April 21, 2007, when he committed this offence.
He pleaded guilty to the robbery, and also to trespass and theft from Lawlor's butchers on Upper Rathmines Road, on May 10, 2009, and attempted robbery on Charlemont Street on June 18, 2009. He had 33 previous convictions.
Judge Patrick McCartan sentenced him to consecutive sentences of six years but suspended the final two on strict conditions.
