Courts / Dublin / Report

Dad led gardai on high speed chase in stolen €50k Merc

Summary

John Byrne, aged 28, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for stealing a white Mercedes worth over €50,000 and driving it recklessly on the M3 motorway. The vehicle was taken from Charlemont estate near Griffith Avenue on 3 February 2015, and a Garda pursuit began shortly after. Byrne's car hit a roundabout at high speed, nearly flipped, then crashed through a stop sign and a fence before stopping in wasteland. He fled the scene, wading through a river, before being captured. The car was badly damaged and written off. Byrne pleaded guilty to using a car without the owner's consent and recklessly damaging it. He had six prior convictions, including drug misuse and property damage. The court found his actions "appalling" and "extraordinarily reckless," and sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, with the two counts running concurrently.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Dad led gardai on high speed chase in stolen €50k Merc. Charges or matters: using a car without the owner's consent and recklessly damaging it at the M3 motorway in Damastown on February 3, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• February 3, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 3 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2016-07-18 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report