Leonard Dumbrell given consent to bail for drug treatment

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

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 21 October 2014, Judge Mary Ellen Ring remanded Leonard Dumbrell in custody with consent to bail for the following Thursday to attend drug treatment, pending sentence. The proceedings were reported on 21 October 2014.

Dumbrell pleaded guilty to car theft in Dublin 4 and two counts of dangerous driving in Dublin city centre. The offences took place on 2 January 2013.

He stole the car in Ballsbridge and drove at speed and the wrong way along one-way streets before crashing at Temple Bar Square. The court heard he almost knocked over pedestrians on O’Connell Bridge while trying to escape gardaí.

Defence counsel John Berry BL said a place was available for a four-week residential programme followed by four weeks of aftercare. He submitted that Dumbrell was chaotic at the time of the offences and that his drug problem was the root cause of his offending.

Lorcan Staines BL, prosecuting, said the State objected because of Dumbrell’s previous convictions, which included bench warrants. The report recorded 108 previous convictions. Mr Staines said Dumbrell had previously absconded on his sentencing date and failed to complete another residential treatment programme.

Mr Berry acknowledged that his client had left the Victory Outreach programme, but said a supportive partner now gave him motivation. He said Dumbrell had already detoxed while on remand in Cloverhill.

Dumbrell had to enter a bond before the governor. Judge Ring said leaving the treatment centre without its consent would breach the bond, require notification of gardaí and prompt a warrant. Mr Berry said any breach of the bail bond would result in remand in prison.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.