Consecutive prison sentences for stealing and damaging car

A MAN who admitted to taking a car without permission and caused damage to it in Monaghan town earlier this year, was left with consecutive prison sentences coming to six months’ duration, as well as a five-year driving ban.

But Shane O’Leary (32), of Glenview Drive, Monaghan town, was also told that the new sentences were being made concurrent to an 18-month term he is already serving for other offences, meaning that the actual time he will spend in prison is likely to be unaffected.

O’Leary had pleaded guilty at Monaghan Distruict Court to a number of charges including taking unlawful possession of a Peugeot 3008 car belonging to Mary Cawley at Ard Cuil Seana, Coolshannagh, Monaghan Town, causing damage to side doors on the car and driving without insurance or a licence at unknown locations in the town, and refusing to give a blood or urine sample at Monaghan Garda Station, all on January 11, 2026.

Inspector Declan McGarvey said gardaí received a call at 4.30am on that Sunday morning, in which a woman reported how she heard a car starting outside her house. She said she had looked outside and saw the car being driven away towards Monaghan Town.

The woman had identified Mr O’Leary as the person who may have taken the vehicle, and he was subsequently located in it. He was arrested and taken to Monaghan Garda Station, at which point it was noted there was minor damage on the passenger side of the car. This had included scrape marks to both doors and wing-mirror damage.

The how or where relating to this damage happened remained unknown, and gardaí subsequently made a requirement for a urine sample from O’Leary, but he refused to cooperate in this regard.

The defendant had 73 previous convictions, the inspector stated, including one for drink driving, five for theft-related offences, and three for trespass. The remainder were mainly for public order breaches over the last three to four years.

When asked by Judge Raymond Finnegan if he wanted to say anything for himself regarding the charges to which he was pleading guilty - given that his solicitor was unable to intervene due to the ongoing lawyers’ legal aid action) - Mr O’Leary simply replied that he was sorry.

“I’m a waste of space,” he added emphatically.

Judge Finnegan told him that wasn’t the attitude to have.

Upon determining from the defendant that he was currently serving 18 months for separate offences, the judge said he was imposing a three-month sentence for the theft of the car, with a consecutive three months and a five-year driving disqualification for the refusal to give a sample.

The judge clarified to O’Leary, who was appearing to the court by video link, that the six months’ being handed out was concurrent to the sentence he was already serving, meaning it should not interfere with his expected release date.