Man with 118 previous convictions imprisoned for theft

A man with 118 previous convictions has been jailed for 15 months for the theft of a car in Dublin.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Sean Keenan, 28, previously of Rosse Court Heights, Balgaddy, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to stealing the vehicle and keys from an address at Holywell View in Swords on 17 September 2022.

Keenan’s 118 previous convictions include theft, criminal damage, assault, public order and road traffic offences.

Passing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said: “This man has not been dealt the best hand in life” and noted his long history of convictions.

The judge said the mitigating factors in this case were his early guilty plea, his admissions, and his good cooperation with gardaí.

He sentenced Keenan to 27 months in prison and suspended the final 12 months for a year.

Judge Nolan also ordered that he be placed under the supervision of the Probation Services for one year post-release.

Garda Brian Murphy told prosecuting counsel Jane Murphy that the car owner woke up on the morning in question at 8am and noticed that his Peugeot 206 was missing from the driveway and his car keys were missing from the car hook in the hall.

Gda Murphy said CCTV footage was obtained, which showed a man acting suspiciously in the area. The man was then identified as Keenan.

A search warrant was issued for his home, and clothing matching that seen on CCTV was seized. The Peugeot car was also parked in the car park of the apartment block.

The court heard that Keenan was arrested, detained and interviewed. During his interview, he made admissions to gardaí.

He said he could not remember what he did with the keys of the Peugeot as he had been intoxicated and under the influence of drugs at the time. He told gardaí that he had used a fishing hook to take the keys. The car was undamaged and returned to the owner.

Keenan is serving a three-year prison term and is due to be released in May 2025.

Gda Murphy agreed with defence counsel Nicola Cox that it was apparent during his interview with gardaí that a guilty plea would be forthcoming.

He also agreed with counsel that her client grew up in tragic circumstances and spent a significant period of time in foster care.

Ms Cox said that Keenan has suffered from homelessness and drug addictions and described him as a vulnerable man.

She said her client was asking the court not to add to his current sentence. She said that Keenan has no support or visitors while in prison.