Wicklow man jailed after carjacking and break-in
The Wicklow PeopleA man with 147 previous convictions has been jailed for four and a half years after threatening to stab an elderly woman during a carjacking in Co Wicklow.
Terence Jameson (42) of no fixed abode, formerly with addresses in Rathnew and Arklow, appeared at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing. The defendant pleaded guilty to three charges of burglary, criminal damage and theft.
Counsel for the prosecution, James Kelly BL, told the court that on May 7, 2025, a woman in her late sixties was on Quinsborough Road in Bray when Mr Jameson demanded her car keys, saying “I’ll stab you”.
CCTV footage was shown in court in which Mr Jameson can be seen shouting at the victim and demanding her keys before speeding away in her vehicle, while bystanders shouted “call the police now”.
The court was told that Mr Jameson drove the car to an address in Roundwood where his girlfriend’s mother lived. Mr Kelly said in his evidence that Mr Jameson knocked on the front door before gaining entry to the property. The occupants of the house locked themselves in an upstairs room, blocking the door with furniture.
The defendant could be heard shouting for his partner. When he realised she was not in the home, he said: “I will burn this house to the ground.”
Mr Jameson fled the property in the stolen car, which was travelling on three wheels after earlier damage. Witnesses told gardaí that sparks were flying from the exposed rim as he drove away.
Counsel for the accused, Thomas Finerty BL, said it was not a traditional burglary, but still qualified as one. Judge Quinn remarked that it “led to two defenceless women having to barricade themselves in a room”.
Mr Finerty told the court that it was not his client’s intention to frighten the women. A garda from Arklow Garda Station told the court that when Mr Jameson was arrested and detained, nothing of probative value emerged during interview, but Mr Jameson did say, “I’ll show you what jail will do to me, I will run amok”.
Mr Finerty told the court that Mr Jameson has struggled with drug and alcohol misuse and that at the time of the incident he was addicted to street tablets.
During cross examination, Mr Finerty asked whether Mr Jameson had been showing any symptoms of withdrawal. The garda told the court that, as an experienced member of the drugs unit, it was his professional opinion that the defendant was not displaying any of the usual symptoms of “coming down”.
Mr Jameson was taken to A and E for an injury to his leg sustained during the break-in.
The court was informed that the accused has been with his partner, Claire Keeley, for 17 years.
Ms Keeley testified that she and the defendant had been going through a difficult period, having been evicted from their apartment in Arklow shortly before the offending. They had been staying in a tent in Roundwood.
She said her family were never fond of Mr Jameson. “They didn’t like him. They were so mean and ignorant to him,” she told the court. She added that Jameson “just lost it” and that the day after the incident he had no memory of what had happened.
Ms Keeley described his behaviour as “him just losing the head”. She also said she had previously snuck Mr Jameson into her mother’s house two days before the break-in.
During the defence plea in mitigation, it was heard that Mr Jameson was extremely remorseful for his actions and that his behaviour was driven by drug addiction. The court was told that a governor’s report was available.
The report stated that while in custody the defendant had been found passing contraband, in possession of drugs on several occasions, and in possession of a mobile phone. Judge Quinn described it as the worst report he had seen in his time as a judge.
During sentencing, Judge Quinn said that although Mr Jameson’s girlfriend is clearly fond of him and he feels empathy towards her, he must impose an appropriate sentence.
He sentenced the accused to four and a half years’ imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended to help him turn his life around upon release. The sentence was backdated to when Mr Jameson went into custody in May 2025.
The conditions attached to the suspended portion require him to engage with the Probation Service and to provide clean urine samples when requested.