Car thief foiled by ‘The Bomber’ told get digging

A car thief didn’t bargain for former councillor known as ‘The Bomber’ when stealing his 4x4 outside his daughter’s home in May.

At Ennis District Court yesterday, Inspector Tom Kennedy outlined how Bernard Hanrahan, aged 66, gave chase when he took his wife’s car to pursue Billy Keating who had stolen Mr Hanrahan’s 4x4 in Clarecastle on May 10.

Mr Hanrahan blocked Keating, aged 35, of Scanlon Park, Castleconnell, Co Limerick, from exiting Madden’s Terrace in Clarecastle, by placing his wife’s car across the exit.

Accompanied by his 18-year-old grandson and another male, Mr Hanrahan told Keating, who was lying on the ground to get up, and handed him to gardaí when they arrived.

Earlier, at around 9pm, a drunken Keating, “in a moment of madness” according to his solicitor, Fiona Hehir, jumped into Mr Hanrahan’s 4x4 with the engine running and drove it towards the direction of Limerick.

Judge Patrick Durcan imposed a six-month sentence on Keating and fined him €1,250 for the unlawful taking of Mr Hanrahan’s jeep, drink driving, and driving without insurance.

However, Judge Durcan told Keating “to get digging” when he substituted the six months prison time for 240 community service, telling the Probation Service officer in court he wanted Mr Keating to work with a pick and shovel.

Insp Kennedy confirmed Keating was almost three times over the legal limit for drink driving. Judge Durcan said that this results in a mandatory disqualification from driving of three years.

Ms Hehir said that her client got intoxicated after attending a relative’s First Communion on the day.

Mr Hehir said her client has no previous convictions, lives with his parents, and hasn’t consumed any alcohol since the incident.