Jail for thief who stole car with toll tag still inside

By Declan Brennan

 A car dealer has been jailed for possession of a stolen car which was detected by the M50 toll because the owner’s toll tag was still in the car.

 Ian Morris (39) of Rossfield Drive, Tallaght told gardai that he bought the 2017 VW Golf, valued at approximately €16,000, for €4,000. He pleaded guilty last July at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of stolen property on April 6, 2025.

At a sentence hearing, a Garda witness told the court that he observed the car in the driveway at Rossfield Drive with a Longford licence plate. He carried out a check and found the car had a warning attached that it may be stolen.

The car had been earlier recorded passing under the M50 toll and a toll notice had been issued and sent to the owner because her eFlow toll tag was still in the car.  The woman’s car, which originally had a Dublin licence registration, had been stolen in April 2023.

She had bought the car in 2017 for €28,000 and the woman’s insurers had paid out €15,700 to cover the theft.

The Garda witness told the court that he spoke to Morris at his home and asked to inspect the car. The chassis number of the car matched that of the stolen vehicle, he said.

Morris told the garda that he had bought it days previously “for cheap” and he didn’t know it was stolen. He said he was on social welfare and did “nixers” buying and selling cars.

Asked how much did he think the car was worth, Morris told gardai “well over 10k”. He said he was told there was finance owed on it and that he would be taking over the payments.

Judge Martin Nolan asked the Garda witness if he had a view of this explanation. The Garda said he did but he did not give it.

Morris has 40 previous convictions for road traffic offences including driving vehicles without tax or insurance.

Sarah-Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending, said Morris buys cars, refurbishes them and sells them on and that was why he had some many convictions under the Road Traffic Act.

She said he comes from a pro-social family. She said he plans to leave Dublin and set up an animal rescue shelter down the country.

Judge Nolan said that Morris no doubt had his suspicions about the car when he bought it. He sentenced him to 14 months imprisonment backdated to last February when Morris went into custody.