Thief who struck elderly woman with a stolen car is jailed

A car thief who struck an elderly woman with a stolen car while she was confronting him has been jailed for three years.

Liam Sheridan (40) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment at Mountjoy Street, Dublin city centre on August 31st, 2016.

Garda Ciara Martin told the court that the victim and her male friend, who are both in their 70s, were on Mountjoy Street when the man realised he had lost his car key.

Four young men had found the key earlier and had approached Sheridan to ask him to steal the car.

The elderly woman and the man were walking up and down the road searching for the key when she realised that the men had gotten into the car. She went back to the car to confront them and leaned in through the front passenger door.

She told the people to get out. The four youths left but Sheridan started the engine and reversed the car.

The woman was knocked to the ground and Sheridan drove off. The woman suffered two fractures to her leg and was hospitalised. She has had to receive continued hospital care for her injuries.

The court heard the injury has “mentally and physically affected her badly”.

Sheridan told the court he was very sorry and said he did not intend for anyone to be injured.

“I’m very sorry, I know how she suffered, I can’t make it right,” he told Judge Elma Sheahan.

Marc Thompson BL, defending, said Sheridan was in “the throes of drug addiction” at the time. He said his client had taken drink and drugs at the time and was not thinking straight.

He said that the father-of-one, with an address at Rory O’Connor House, Dublin is dealing with his addiction now.

Judge Sheahan suspended the final nine months of a prison term of three years and nine months on condition that he keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service after his release.

Sheridan’s previous convictions include theft and drug dealing offences.