By Eimear Dodd
A man who left a 10-month-old baby between parked cars on the side of a busy Dublin road after hijacking her mother’s car has been jailed for eight years.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the infant’s seven-year-old brother jumped out of the Skoda car and ran into the family home to alert his mother after Francis Broughan (47) hijacked it.
The children’s mother had run back into the family home when her son alerted her that the car had been taken.
The baby’s parents flagged down a passing car and followed the Skoda, later losing sight of it.
Two women were chatting on a nearby street when they heard a baby crying and saw a man – Broughan – slamming a rear car door.
One of the woman shouted at Broughan, who then drove off. After the car left, they went to look as they could still hear a baby crying.
They found the infant lying on her front on the ground between parked cars. The baby was checked at the scene by paramedics and did not require any further medical attention.
Broughan was yesterday jailed for eight years after pleading guilty to the unlawful seizure of a vehicle in August 2022.
The court heard Broughan of Shangan Gardens, Ballymun, Dublin 11, had earlier hijacked a car parked outside a supermarket in North Dublin, after holding an object to the neck of the 81-year-old driver.
Broughan was arrested a few days later when gardai on patrol spotted the car, which at this point had different number plates.
In the earlier incident, the 81-year-old man was waiting for a friend who was in the supermarket when his car’s rear door was opened.
Broughan put something to the man’s neck and told him to drive, before shouting at him to hand over his phone and wallet.
The man said his phone and wallet were in the boot. Broughan told him to pull over.
The injured party said Broughan seemed calm so he decided to try to buy time to reach a busier road, where he pulled in.
Broughan was shouting at him to get out of the car and leave the keys. The man beeped the car’s horn to get the attention of passerbys, then grabbed the keys.
Broughan fled the scene. The man told gardai he thought Broughan’s intention was to rob him.
Victim impact statements were handed into the court and not read aloud.
When interviewed, Broughan told gardai that he could not recall what had happened and was addicted to crack cocaine at the time.
He identified himself on CCTV, expressed shame, disgust and embarrassment about his behaviour and apologised.
He also expressed concern for the baby.
Broughan told gardai he believed he bought the Skoda with the intention of living in it as he was homeless at the time.
He accepted that his DNA may be found in both cars.
Broughan has 56 previous convictions including for burglary, road traffic and drugs offences. He was on bail at the time of these offences.
The investigating garda agreed with Justin McQuaid BL, defending, that his client told them he was addicted to crack cocaine.
It was further accepted that most of Broughan’s offending is linked to his addiction issues, that he looks better now than in 2022 and has not come to recent garda attention.
Imposing sentence, Judge Elva Duffy noted the seriousness of the offending, the trauma suffered by the injured parties, the “harrowing” contents of the victim impact statements and the particular vulnerabilities of the man, the young boy and the infant girl.
Judge Duffy said the mother outlined in her victim impact statement that the boy felt guilty for leaving his sister and had to be consoled that he had done the right thing in leaving the car to alert her.
The judge said Broughan further endangered the “poor innocent and very vulnerable 10-month- old” by leaving her on the side of a busy road.
“How anybody could have done that beggars belief,” the judge added.
Broughan took the stand and expressed his sincere apologies to the injured parties.
He outlined his history of addiction to heroin, that he got clean, but relapsed in 2022 after losing his job and started taking crack cocaine.
He said he committed the offence while in the throes of addiction, but was now drug-free, after going cold turkey, and working again.
He told Ms Dempsey, under cross-examination, that he took a trial date in order to prepare his defence.
Mr McQuaid asked the court to take into account his client’s personal circumstances, guilty plea, expressions of remorse and efforts towards rehabilitation.
His client had a crack cocaine addiction at the time of this offending, but is now drug-free.
Judge Duffy said the court would give Broughan credit for his guilty plea, which was entered in advance of a trial date.
She noted an accused person cannot attempt to “put distance” between themselves and their offending by taking a trial date. “One cannot buy time and abuse the court system,” Judge Duffy said.
Judge Duffy said the court was concerned that no urine analysis was provided to confirm Broughan’s drug-free status.
Having considered the mitigation and Broughan’s personal circumstances, Judge Duffy imposed an eight year sentence.