Courts / Dublin / Report

Nine years for man who went on cocaine-fuelled rampage with machine gun

Date
2018-06-08

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Tallaght

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Joseph Rafferty, aged 38, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for a cocaine‑fuelled rampage that lasted eight hours and covered 45 km. Rafferty seized multiple vehicles at gunpoint, pursued Gardaí in a high‑speed chase, and committed false imprisonment, aggravated burglary, threats with a sub‑machine gun and reckless endangerment. He pleaded guilty to burglary at Watergate Estate, assault of a homeowner, criminal damage, two carjacking counts, three counts of possessing a sub‑machine gun, unlawful possession of 9 mm Luger ammunition and reckless endangerment. He also admitted stealing a vehicle from Carroll and Roche Subaru. The judge noted his 34 prior convictions and reduced a potential 14‑year sentence to nine years, citing guilty pleas and remorse. No serious injuries were reported, though a man sustained a head laceration during a break‑in. The case highlighted the extensive police response, including 50 Gardaí, air support and the Garda Dog Unit.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Nine years for man who went on cocaine-fuelled rampage with machine gun. Charges or matters: aggravated burglary at Watergate Estate, Tallaght and assaulting the homeowner on October 10, 2017; criminal damage, two counts of carjacking, three of possessing a sub-machine gun, unlawful possession of 9mm Luger ammunition and reckless endangerment in south west locations in the city on the same date; stealing a vehicle from Carroll and Roche Subaru dealership, Newlands Cross, Clondalkin. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

October 10, 2017 Incident
October 23 Incident
2018-06-08 Publication

Why: Joseph Rafferty (38) seized multiple vehicles from their owners at gunpoint and led gardaí on a dangerous high speed chase because he believed his wife was having an affair, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told. CNI source report

Case subjects

Joseph Rafferty

Defendant

Charges: aggravated burglary at Watergate Estate, Tallaght and assaulting the homeowner on October 10, 2017; criminal damage, two counts of carjacking, three of possessing a sub-machine gun, unlawful possession of 9mm Luger ammunition and reckless endangerment in south west locations in the city on the same date; stealing a vehicle from Carroll and Roche Subaru dealership, Newlands Cross, Clondalkin (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: During the sentence, Chief Supt Sutton said Rafferty told his father-in-law in the weeks before his rampage that he had a gun, but this was disregarded as "nonsense". Judge Nolan said the headline sentence in the matter would have been 14 years, but he was reducing this to nine years taking into consideration Rafferty's guilty pleas and remorse.