Brian Reilly’s suspended sentence activated after further driving offences
This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.
Brian Reilly’s 18-month suspended sentence was activated at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 24 June 2025 after he breached its conditions. Judge Orla Crowe ordered that he serve it in addition to the sentence he was already serving.
The suspended term formed part of a seven-and-a-half-year sentence imposed by Judge Melanie Greally in 2021 for offences connected to a crash in Finglas on 29 January 2020. She suspended the final 18 months and disqualified Reilly from driving for life.
Reilly pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment, dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Ellen Armstrong, refusing to provide a blood or urine sample, and driving without insurance.
The court heard that Reilly crashed into a vehicle carrying Ellen Armstrong and her husband John Armstrong while trying to evade gardaí. Ellen Armstrong suffered multiple rib fractures and other injuries, and the tip of her right thumb was amputated. Defence counsel Keith Spencer said Reilly had panicked when gardaí pulled him over and was extremely remorseful.
In a separate case, Judge John Martin sentenced Reilly at Trim Circuit Criminal Court earlier in 2025 to six and a half years, with the final 18 months suspended, for offences in Meath on 22 November 2024. Reilly pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving, four counts of endangerment and a number of criminal damage offences.
Spencer urged Judge Crowe not to reactivate the earlier suspended term, saying Judge Martin had known of Reilly’s previous convictions and that activation would deprive him of community supervision. Judge Crowe rejected the submission, saying the matters were too serious.
She initially proposed activating 12 months and leaving six months suspended, subject to two years of Probation Service supervision. Reilly refused to enter the bond, and she activated the full 18 months. She gave defence counsel leave to mention the matter again if required. The proceedings were reported on 24 June 2025.