Courts / Dublin / Report

Lucky escape for gardai during pursuit of teen car thief

Date
2021-11-26

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

A 19‑year‑old teenage car thief, Ross Crea, was jailed for three and a half years after a high‑speed chase across Dublin. He stole a car from a house on Kilmacud Road, drove through a patrol block, and then drove onto the M50, weaving through traffic, breaking red lights, and making a U‑turn. He crashed into a barrier near Harolds Cross and later into a petrol station kerb. Gardaí were not injured, and the incident lasted about 45 minutes. Crea pleaded guilty to three counts of reckless endangerment, three of dangerous driving and one of unlawful taking of a car. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to five years for endangering the gardai, suspended the final 18 months on condition of keeping the peace for five years, and banned him from driving for four years. He also received a two‑year concurrent prison term for a separate assault that occurred four weeks before the car chase.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Lucky escape for gardai during pursuit of teen car thief. Charges or matters: three counts of reckless endangerment, three of dangerous driving and one of unlawful taking of a car. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

September 29 Hearing Or Sentence
March 2020 Incident
September 3, 2020 Incident
2021-11-26 Publication

Why: When gardai arrived at the scene they were able to identify Crea because he had given his name to the females and had shown them his Facebook profile. CNI source report