By Isabel Hayes
A grandfather who took his date’s car after a scuffle, before driving it at speed, crashing it and then assaulting two gardaí has been jailed for five years and three months.
Jason Kennedy (52) also received the sentence for his part in the burglary of a till from an unoccupied bakery kiosk in Jervis Shopping Centre in August 2022.
Kennedy, with an address at Butlers Place, Benson Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to a number of offences in relation to the first incident on November 16, 2017, in which he took his date’s car after pushing and kicking her as she lay on the ground.
Detective Garda Mark O’Neill told Oisin Clarke BL, prosecuting, that the pair had only met a couple of times and had driven back to Kennedy’s street after a trip to Supermacs when he asked if he could drive her car and tried to take the key out of the ignition.
A struggle for the car keys ensued, with Kennedy climbing on top of his victim, shoving her and pulling her hair.
The pair ended up on the street, with Kennedy kicking her as she lay on the ground before grabbing the car keys and taking off in the car at speed.
He crashed the car just 200 metres up the road and gardaí – alerted by concerned witnesses – arrived shortly afterwards to find him still in the car.
Kennedy went on to assault two gardaí as they attempted to arrest him, leaving one garda with a fractured hand, before he was subdued with incapacitation spray.
He was charged with a number of offences in November 2018 including assault, dangerous driving and criminal damage of a garda’s stab vest.
He was due to stand trial but entered a number of guilty pleas instead, the court heard.
Kennedy also pleaded guilty to trespass and theft of a till at an unoccupied Aunt Annie’s bakery kiosk in Jervis Shopping Centre on August 9, 2022.
He was caught on CCTV footage and the till was found to have his DNA on it. It was valued at €285.
Kennedy has 100 previous convictions and is currently serving a four year sentence for another matter.
Emer Ní Chúagáin BL, defending, said Kennedy had long-standing addiction issues but is doing well in custody.
The court heard he has a son and two grandchildren and is “acutely aware” of the fact that he is missing out on seeing his grandchildren grow.
Sentencing Kennedy today, Judge Martin Nolan said Kennedy had behaved “disgracefully” during the first incident.
He noted Kennedy has spent long periods of his life in custody and has a high number of previous convictions.
He queried whether Kennedy is “ever going to learn”.
The judge handed down a sentence of three years for the first incident and a sentence of 2 years and 3 months for the second incident.
He ordered the sentences to run consecutively.