A Kilkelly man was sent to prison for six months this week for stealing three cars, two of which were involved in an incident — a 14-year-old boy was driving one of the cars.
Ballyhaunis District Court this week heard that three cars were stolen with two of them subsequently involved in an incident. The 14-year-old was driving one of the stolen cars. Two car radios were also stolen from other cars.
Elfyn Duff, 4 Bridge Street, Kilkelly, Co Mayo, pleaded guilty to the offences in court and had €21,900 with him in compensation.
Garda James Malone told the court that Duff presented himself to gardaí in Swinford on June 24 2009 and admitted to the theft of cars in the Swinford and Foxford areas on June 23 2009. He had stolen both cars from the driveway of people’s homes the pervious night, the first from Swinford at around 1.30am and the second later that morning from Foxford. He had been drinking at a party and left with his girlfriend’s 14-year-old brother. He took the first car after finding the keys left in it, and the pair then drove to Foxford where he stole another car after finding the keys also left in the car. Then on the Pontoon Road the 14-year-old boy who was now driving the first car, stopped suddenly on the road and the two cars crashed together.
Garda James Malone went on to say that on June 25 2009 he further interviewed Duff who admitted to taking a van in Kilkelly on May 28 2009 which was also crashed, and to taking the radios from a car in Foxford on June 23 2009 and in Kilkelly on June 3 2009.
The court was also told that Duff had brought to court and handed over to the gardaí three bank drafts up to the value of €21,900, divided out to €10,500, €7,500 and €3,500 to cover the damage caused to the three stolen cars and two bank drafts of €200 each to cover the damage to the stolen radios. The court was also told that as a youth Duff had spent time in St Patrick’s Institution as a minor for similar offences, he had been off the radar for a number of years when he moved to England. Duff had only moved back to Ireland in the recent past.
Evan O’Dwyer, solicitor for Duff, told the court that his client had a past in relation to such incidents when he was younger, but it was only since he moved back to the locality that he had risen his head above the radar once again. Mr O’Dwyer went on to tell the court that his client had been involved in a road traffic accident a number of years ago, which was not his fault, and his girlfriend at the time, who was the mother of his child, was killed in that accident. That was the reason Duff left for England in the first place. He also asked the court that his client be given the benefit of the probation and rehabilitation service because he did not have the chance to benefit from it when he was younger.
Judge Conal Gibbons told the court that: “This is very serious and extraordinary behaviour. Coming in with €21,900 compensation is all a bit surreal. But the most serious incident of this case is the fact that he had a 14-year-old boy with him on this spree. He has to lose his liberty for a period of time.” Judge Gibbons sentenced Duff to three months in prison for the theft of one of the cars, another three months in prison to be served consecutively for a second theft, and three months prison to be served concurrently for the third theft, with the other charges to be taken into consideration.
