Charles Farrell pleads guilty to theft, unlawful use of a car and dangerous driving

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Charles Farrell (44), of Bancroft Close, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft, unlawful use of a car and dangerous driving.

The theft involved two gates at Convent Cottage, Firhouse Road, on 4 April 2015. The car offences occurred in Tallaght on 25 June 2015, while Farrell was on bail. The proceedings were reported on 4 December 2016.

Judge Melanie Greally adjourned Farrell’s case until 14 February 2017 for a probation report.

Garda Peter Finnan told Eilis Brennan BL, prosecuting, that officers saw three men carrying a large iron gate towards a van at 9.30pm on 4 April 2015. Another identical gate was already inside. Garda Finnan said Farrell later accelerated away from a signal to stop while driving the car, ignored traffic signals, drove on the wrong side of the road and exceeded the speed limit. The car rolled into a ditch at Kiltipper Lane.

The report recorded six previous convictions. Garda Finnan agreed with Dean Kelly BL, defending, that significant drug addiction was the background to Farrell’s offending. He also agreed Farrell had accrued no convictions between 1993 and 2007. Mr Kelly said Farrell had been in custody since February, held a trusted cleaning role, completed education courses and contacted a drug counsellor.

The report said co-accused James Spellman Junior and Trevor Matthews had each received a two-year suspended sentence in January for their roles in stealing the gates.