Courts

Man jailed for attacking date and stealing her car before assaulting gardaí

Jason Kennedy (52), of Butler’s Place, Dublin, asked to drive vehicle after he and woman returned to his street after trip to Supermacs

The woman had driven back to Jason Kennedy’s street after a trip to Supermacs when he asked if he could drive the car and tried to take the key out of the ignition. Photograph: iStock/Getty

Isabel Hayes
Wed Jan 24 2024 - 14:14

A Dublin grandfather who took his date’s car after a scuffle, crashed the vehicle and then assaulted two gardaí has been jailed.

Jason Kennedy (52) was also sentenced for his part in the burglary of a till at an unoccupied bakery kiosk in the Jervis Shopping Centre in August 2022.

Kennedy, with an address at Butler’s Place, Benson Street, pleaded guilty to a number of offences in relation to the incident on November 16th, 2017 when he took his date’s car after pushing and kicking her as she lay on the ground.

Det Garda Mark O’Neill told Óisín Clarke BL, prosecuting, that the pair had only met a couple of times and had driven back to Kennedy’s street after a trip to Supermacs when he asked if he could drive the car and tried to take the key out of the ignition.

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A struggle for the car keys ensued, with Kennedy climbing on top of his victim, shoving her and pulling her hair. The pair ended up on the street, with Kennedy kicking the woman as she lay on the ground before grabbing the car keys and taking off at speed in the vehicle.

He crashed the car just 200 metres up the road and gardaí – alerted by concerned witnesses – arrived shortly afterwards to find him still in the car. Kennedy went on to assault two gardaí as they attempted to arrest him, leaving one with a fractured hand. He was eventually subdued with incapacitation spray.

He was charged with a number of offences in November 2018 including assault, dangerous driving and criminal damage of a garda’s stab vest. He was due to stand trial but entered a number of guilty pleas, the court heard.

Kennedy also pleaded guilty to trespass and theft of a till at an unoccupied Aunt Annie’s bakery kiosk in Jervis Shopping Centre on August 9th, 2022. He was caught on CCTV footage and the till was found to have his DNA on it. It was valued at €285.

Kennedy has 100 previous convictions and is currently serving a four year sentence over another matter.

Emer Ní Chúagáin BL, defending, said Kennedy had long-standing addiction issues but is doing well in custody. The court heard he has a son and two grandchildren and is “acutely aware” of the fact that he is missing out on seeing his grandchildren grow up.

Sentencing Kennedy, Judge Martin Nolan said the defendant had behaved “disgracefully” during the first incident. He noted Kennedy had spent long periods of his life in custody, has a high number of previous convictions and queried if he was “ever going to learn”.

The judge handed down a sentence of three years for the first incident and a sentence of two years and three months for the second incident. He ordered the sentences to run consecutively.

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