Judge makes decision on Longford man who bulldozed mum's partner's car

A North Longford man, who used his tractor with a front loader to 'bulldoze' and destroy his mother's partner's luxury car, brought €30,000 in compensation to court recently, as directed, and avoided a prison sentence and a driving ban.

Shane McLoughlin of Cornakelly, Moyne, county Longford pleaded guilty on an agreed facts basis at Longford Circuit Court to criminal damage on an 2018 Audi A4 at Kiltycreevagh, Ballinamuck on August 11, 2024.

State prosecutor Shane Geraghty BL said the vehicle belonged to the defendant's mother's partner and he had been unhappy about this relationship and that his father had moved out of the family home several months earlier.

The court heard the defendant's mother and the complainant, who were romantically involved drove home from an evening socialising and they passed by the defendant and a friend who were walking home having been at a music festival earlier that night.

The couple offered the two men a lift but they declined and the defendant's mother and the complainant arrived back at her home at 2.45am.

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They were having tea when they heard the defendant being dropped home and a short time later they observed the defendant's tractor passing the road in front of the house.

The defendant returned on the tractor 15-minutes later and he entered the driveway and rammed into his mother's partner's vehicle with 'the prongs on the front loader pierced between the driver's window and the driver's side passenger's window'.

The court heard the defendant 'lifted the car off the ground and it suspended it in the air' before dropping it forcefully on the ground.

The crime was reported to gardaí who arrested the defendant on August 12, 2024 and the complainant made a victim impact statement, where he said he was left 'severely traumatised, in constant fear and mental distress'.

The injured party said he was left without a car for 10 weeks and he was seeking €27,000 in compensation.

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During a previous hearing in October, Judge Kenneth Connolly that the injured party needed to be compensated and he ordered Mr McLoughlin that he needed to gather the sum of €30,000 and bring it to court.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that the compensation money had since been paid and Judge Connolly then spoke about the seriousness of the case and the driving element.

"Sometimes, there is an argument whether it can properly be said that a motor vehicle was used in the commission of an offence and we often have arguments in that regard.

"But, there can absolutely be no doubt when someone drives a John Deere tractor with forks on the front and puts it through the side of an Audi, lifts it up to a height and smashes it to the ground that the driving was involved in the offence."

The court heard Mr McLoughlin had no relevant previous convictions

Niall Flynn, BL, defending, replied that all he could say to 'dilute that' in terms of him retaining his driving licence was that based on his overall history and his subsequent history.

"While there is speeding, he has no convictions for careless driving, driving without due care and attention, dangerous driving or nothing subsequent in relation to that.

"He appears to be a person who apart from this isolated incident has respect for his licence and also has respect for the rules of the road."

Mr Flynn explained how detrimental it would be for his client, who secured a loan to pay the compensation, if he is disqualified from driving as he pleaded for leniency.

"Given his young age and given that his financial commitments to meet as a result of this offending and that he relies on his driving licence for his livelihood, in those circumstances I'd ask the court [to consider it]."

Mr Flynn said his client was "very ashamed and embarrassed" by the incident and he has engaged positively with the Probation Service.

Judge Connolly asked the complainant if there was any charity that was close to his heart and he replied that he really liked Cian's Kennels, which allows hospitalised kids to have their dogs by their side for extra comfort.

He described the as assessment completed on Mr McLoughlin as one of the most 'glowing probation reports I have ever seen' and he noted he was deemed to be at a low risk of reoffending and suitable for community service.

Judge Connolly, who also considered the defendant's early guilty plea and his previous good record, described the fact Mr McLoughlin was walking out of court with his licence as being 'miraculous, there is no other word for it".

He decided to impose 240 hours of community service that is to be completed within one year in lieu of two years in prison and he directed the defendant to make a €2,000 charity contribution within six months.