A man who snatched an elderly woman's handbag was pursued by gardaí before being fatally injured when the car he was driving crashed into a tree, an inquest has heard.
Gary Hogan (25), Rossfield Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin, crashed on February 2nd last year. He died from severe brain injury less than two weeks later at St James's Hospital, Dublin.
Dublin City Coroner's Court heard yesterday that Mr Hogan first tried to steal a vehicle in Newcastle, Dublin, but the owner, Garda Austin Cooney, shouted out. Mr Hogan returned to his car and made off at speed.
At Hazelhatch Road, Newcastle, he gained entry to an elderly woman's house under the pretence of requiring water for his car.
Inside he made a grab for Mary Sherry's handbag and a struggle ensued. The handbag's strap broke and he returned to his car with it and sped off.
Garda Cooney had passed on to gardaí a description of Mr Hogan's car and an unmarked Garda patrol car pursued it.
Garda Shane Kelly said Mr Hogan was travelling at excessive speed and on the wrong side of the road when he realised the gardaí were in pursuit. They eventually lost sight of Mr Hogan's car because of its speed. It crashed into a tree in a cul-de-sac down a country lane. A jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.