Gareth Kenna jailed for dangerous driving causing injury

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

Gareth Kenna was jailed for five years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The proceedings were reported on 23 October 2015. On 10 October 2014, he lost control of a hijacked Honda Jazz at Hearse Road, Donabate, and crashed into Laura Mahony’s car, crushing her legs while her young son was inside.

Kenna pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Ms Mahony, two counts of attempted hijacking and one count of hijacking a vehicle. The attempted hijackings and hijacking charges concerned offences at Donabate Golf Club, New Road, Donabate, on 10 October 2014.

Kenna had 98 previous convictions, including 14 for dangerous driving, and was already serving a 20-year driving disqualification when the incident happened. However, Det Garda Colm Donohoe agreed with Caroline Biggs SC, defending, that Kenna had no previous convictions for violent crimes and had been co-operative with gardaí.

The detective said Kenna could not recall the incident when interviewed. He accepted that lack of memory, agreeing with Ms Biggs that Kenna had been in a coma following the crash. Ms Biggs submitted that Kenna had had a difficult upbringing, was remorseful and was doing well rehabilitating himself in prison.

Judge Martin Nolan took account of Kenna’s remorse and early guilty plea, but described seizing a car and driving it dangerously while disqualified as “severe aggravating factors”.