Drug dealer jailed for attempting to run over man

A drug dealer who attempted to run over a man he wrongly believed was involved in a nightclub altercation with his girlfriend has been jailed for seven years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

John Paul Kelly (aged 22), of Cherrywood Villa, Ballyfermot injured the man when he ran his car at him on April 10, 2006 before running it at the victim’s girlfriend and driving it over her hair.

Kelly, whose 52 previous convictions were mainly road traffic offences, pleaded guilty to two reckless endangerment charges and also to his role in a heroin dealing operation in September 2005.

Garda Finian Dempsey told prosecuting counsel, Mr Colm O Briain BL, that Kelly a surveillance operation led to Kelly’s arrest as well as the seizure of heroin worth €4,500 and €10,600 cash.

Garda Mary Lavin told Mr O Briain that Edward Kelly and Laura Clarke were walking from the Spawell Hotel in Templeogue when they saw Kelly drive past before doing a hand brake turn and coming straight for them.

He hit Mr Kelly before getting out to approach him but was pushed away by Ms Clarke. Kelly then got back into the car and drove it at her, hitting her with the wing mirror and then driving over her hair before speeding off. He caused injury to Mr Kelly’s hip and leg.

Gda Lavin said she spotted the car driving off and gave chase until she found it abandoned on the Tallaght Bypass. Kelly was arrested nearby a short time later. He had no insurance or driving license and had recently been disqualified from driving.

He told gardaí he had believed Edward Kelly had been in a fight involving his girlfriend in a nightclub earlier in the evening, something which the victim denied.

Garda Dempsey told Mr O Briain that during the September 2005 surveillance operation of an apartment on Beresford Street he observed a youth coming out who was found to be carrying €3,200 worth of heroin.

Gardaí searched the apartment, finding Kelly on the bed talking on his mobile phone. A further €1,300 worth of heroin was found, as well as electronic weighing scales and wrapping believed to be used for importing the drug.

Gda Dempsey agreed with Mr O Briain that the equipment as well as the texts found on Kelly’s phone "seemed to indicate a large scale drugs operation". Kelly claimed that €10,600 cash found in the apartment was from the sale of a jeep.

Defence counsel, Mr Aidan McCarthy BL, Kelly had a drinking problem but had never become a drug addict. His father was horrified at his offences and his family were in court for him.

Mr McCarthy pleaded with Judge Katherine Delahunt to take into consideration that Kelly had a tough upbringing and had suffered a serious motor cycle accident in his teens, preventing him from continuing his plumbers apprenticeship.

Judge Delahunt ordered that the €10,600 be forfeited to the State and told Kelly he was a person who was totally out of control.

"Under the influence of alcohol, which will never be accepted as a excuse by this court, you injured two totally innocent people who had nothing to do with what was going on."