Francis Broughan jailed for eight years after car hijacking

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

Francis Broughan was sentenced to eight years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the unlawful seizure of a vehicle. He pleaded guilty to the offence. The sentencing proceedings were reported on 19 May 2025.

The court heard that Broughan hijacked a car belonging to the mother of a 10-month-old girl in Cabra on 21 August 2022. The girl’s seven-year-old brother jumped out of the car and ran home to alert their mother. Two women later found the baby lying on her front between parked cars beside a busy road. Paramedics checked her and she needed no further medical attention.

The court also heard that Broughan had previously hijacked an 81-year-old man’s car outside a supermarket, putting an object to his neck and demanding his phone and wallet. The man sounded the horn and grabbed the keys before Broughan fled.

Broughan told gardaí he could not recall what had happened and had been addicted to crack cocaine. He identified himself on CCTV, apologised and expressed concern for the baby. He told the court he had relapsed after losing his job in 2022 but was now drug-free and working. Judge Elva Duffy noted that no urine analysis had been provided to confirm his drug-free status.

Judge Duffy considered the seriousness of the offending, the victims’ trauma and Broughan’s circumstances. She gave credit for his guilty plea, which was entered before a trial date.

At an earlier District Court hearing, Broughan had faced charges of unauthorised taking of a vehicle, endangerment and unlawful seizure of a vehicle. In February 2023, he was sent forward for trial on attempted hijacking and endangerment charges and remained on bail.