A JUDGE yesterday called on Cork Corporation to introduce traffic calming measures in an area of Cork city notorious for car stealing after hearing that almost £1 million worth of cars were damaged or destroyed during a two year period there.
Supt P.J. Sheahan said that during 1994 and 1995 gardai had recovered 1,000 cars damaged in car theft incidents and a number of police officers had been seriously injured in rammings and accidents.
He was outlining the problems of car stealing in the Kilmore Road area of the city before the sentencing by Judge A.G. Murphy of Christian Russell, of Presentation Place, Cork.
He had been convicted of taking a car without the owner's consent on June 28th last and with causing criminal damage to the car.
Supt Sheahan said that because of prosecutions brought before the courts the number of carstealing incidents had fallen this bear.
The majority of the people living in Knocknaheeney were law abiding citizens who were very concerned about these activities. They had made representations to Cork Corporation for traffic calming measures, such as roundabouts and ramps, he said.
Judge Murphy said he was, deeply concerned that Russell, was on temporary release when he committed the crime. He sentenced him to three and a half years in prison and recommended that Cork Corporation implement the necessary traffic calming measures.