Plumber jailed for 3 years for driving at ex-partner’s new boyfriend

By Niamh O’Donoghue

A plumber has been jailed for three years for driving at his ex-partner’s new boyfriend, causing him to be thrown into the air.

Jason Buckley (28) of Verschoyle Vale, Saggart, Dublin, pleaded guilty to endangerment at Fairgreen, Saggart on March 21, 2021. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Buckley has eight previous convictions.

Garda Sarah Flood told the court the injured party, Matthew Kenny, was in a relationship with Buckley’s ex-partner.

Mr Kenny was helping her move house and observed the accused revving the engine.

Mr Kenny phoned his brother to collect him and they made their way over to the Fairgreen address.

The injured party got out of his brother’s car taking a hurl with him to defend himself. He then saw the accused driving at him.

He heard the accused revving up at speed and CCTV shown to the court from a neighbour’s house depicts this.

Mr Kenny’s left wrist was badly sprained and he had cuts, bruises and lacerations.

He read a victim impact statement to the court in which he said he was a confident, outgoing person, but now lives in constant fear and anxiety.

He said he was in excruciating pain and taking “copious amounts” of medications for it.

He said he was barely able to walk and his injury left him in constant pain and would never be able to achieve things in life.

“It doesn’t get easier and I can’t stop it,” he said.

He said he had plans to apply for a mortgage and to pursue his dream of being a barrister but medical bills had left him with nothing.

He also said he had to take numerous days off work to attend court.

In mitigation, Garnet Orange SC, defending, submitted it was not preplanned and a matter that “happened in the blink of an eye.”

Buckley instructs that he deeply regrets his actions. He noted that Mr Kenny didn’t receive any catastrophic injuries in the incident.

Mr Orange said Buckley left school at 15 and has been working as a plumber but was off sick as he has “a painful and embarrassing condition” that means he cannot work at the moment.

The nature of the condition was not outlined to the court.

Judge Orla Crowe noted Mr Kenny was in constant fear and suffered anxiety for which he received counselling.

She noted he was previously a very active man.

Judge Crowe noted defence counsel’s submission that matters were not pre-planned and were spontaneous.

She also noted that a lot of people spoke highly of Buckley.

The judge said it “may well have been spontaneous” but that Buckley made “a deliberate decision” to carry out an “act of utter endangerment”.

Judge Crowe said it was “sheer good fortune” that Mr Kenny had not sustained more severe injuries.

She said the aggravating factors were that Buckley deliberately drove at the injured party as well as his previous convictions.

The judge noted the mitigating factors were his guilty plea, albeit at late stage.

She said he has family support and has not been in prison.

She also noted his work history as a plumber.

Judge Crowe noted the maximum penalty was seven years and set a headline sentence of five years, which she reduced to three years in light of mitigating factors.