Man who went joyriding for days gets two years

A 19-year-old Killarney man with a history of breaking into houses and taking keys to go joyriding in cars for days on end has been jailed for two years at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee.

Judge Thomas E O’Donnell suspended the final six months in the case of Con Ryan, of Doirinn Alainn, Killarney, who pleaded guilty to the unauthorised taking of a vehicle from outside the home of an academic in February of last year.

Sgt Leo Randles detailed how, on February 28, 2014, an academic doctor in UCC discovered her car stolen from outside her home in Dalton’s View, Killarney. A laptop with valuable research material had been in the car.

Investigating gardaí set up a stake-out and Ryan and another accused man were found approaching the car at Ballydribeen, Killarney, on March 1, 2014. The laptop was never found and there was €6,500 damage done to the car.

Brian McInerney, defending, said his client had a difficult background.

“He has a fascination for sitting behind the wheel of a car — he takes the car and joyrides around for a few days,” Mr McInerney said.

Mr Ryan had 50 previous convictions, mainly for burglary and including 11 of unauthorised taking of motor vehicles, the sergeant outlined to Tom Rice, prosecuting.