A woman who reversed a stolen Mercedes with a man holding onto it into the smoking area of a pub has been sentenced to two and half years in prison.
Ross Kelly was stopped at a junction beside the Dropping Well Pub in Milltown, Dublin when he spotted Helen Hourigan (34) driving a Mercedes at speed towards him.
She drove into the back of his vehicle and Mr Kelly got out to speak to her, leaving his now-wife in the passenger seat. Hourigan rammed his car a second time.
Mr Kelly then approached her, opened the driver’s door of the Mercedes and told her to get out of the car. He described her as having a vacant stare.
Hourigan, of Moreen Avenue, Sandyford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal to stealing a Mercedes-Benz at City Hall and criminal damage of Mr Kelly’s Volkswagen Beetle on January 9th, 2015.
Garda Rory Vaughan told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that Mr Kelly had his arm on the roof of the Mercedes and his foot resting on the doorsill of the driver’s door.
Hourigan then reversed the car at speed into the smoking area of the Dropping Well, smashing a glass partition and pinning Mr Kelly against a wall.
Injuries
A few seconds later she drove off again and Mr Kelly fell to the ground. He was later taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries.
Garda Vaughan said Hourigan had stolen the Mercedes earlier that day when the owner had left it open with the keys in the ignition.
Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final year of the two and half year term.
He said Hourigan had driven the car dangerously and Mr Kelly and his wife had sustained injuries. He accepted that she has since “taken steps to deal with” her addiction to drugs.
Garda Vaughan said later that night he got a call to attend the scene of an accident and found the stolen Mercedes had crashed into a wall at a housing estate. Two witnesses said they had seen a woman running from the car.
Hourigan was later spotted on Marine Avenue in Sandyford and arrested. She claimed she had been out for a walk.
Garda Vaughan agreed with Michael Hourigan BL, defending that witnesses to both crashes said Hourigan was “clearly intoxicated”.
Mr Hourigan told Judge Nolan that the mother-of-four now wanted to deal with her addiction so she could be re-united with her children. She is currently serving a sentence and is due for release in August.