A Westmeath resident who escaped in handcuffs from gardai arresting him on St Patrick’s day for driving a stolen car but was caught later that night driving a second stolen car has been given a suspended sentence.
John McKeon (21 ) was consuming up to 10 ecstasy tablets a day at the time of the offences.
McKeon, of The Moorings, Ballymahon Road, Mullingar, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of unlawful use of a car, dangerous driving and escape from lawful custody in Finglas on March 17, 2008.
Defence counsel, Mr Bernard Condon BL, said McKeon, formerly of Hazelcroft Park, Finglas, managed to remove the handcuffs “between his own resources and others”.
Judge Katherine Delahunt noted that McKeon had disassociated himself from previous friends in the Finglas area and was now living in Mullingar where he was engaging with the Open Door Project.
She imposed a two year sentence which she suspended in full and ordered McKeon to complete 240 hours community service within 12 months.
Garda Ronan O’Reilly told Mr Noel Devitt BL, prosecuting, that gardai pursued McKeon and an accomplice in a stolen car and followed the pair into a house on Berryfield Road.
Garda O’Reilly said McKeon was handcuffed but as he was being placed in the patrol car he managed to flee from the scene.
Garda O’Reilly said that later that night gardai received a call about another stolen car being tampered with and soon afterwards spotted McKeon driving the car at high speed through a roundabout. Following a high-speed chase McKeon and the passenger were arrested as they attempted to flee the car.
Mr Condon said McKeon came from a “disrupted family background”. He said McKeon began living a “homeless lifestyle” and started abusing cannabis at 14 years old.
He said that substance abuse and family disruptions were at the root of McKeon’s offending and that his client, who has 15 previous convictions, had been taking up to 10 ecstasy tablets a day at the time.
