Man jailed for stealing cars to order

A heroin addict who was paid by criminals to steal cars for use by them later in serious offences has been given a four years sentence by Judge Patrick McCartan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Trevor Purdy (aged 34) of Newbrook Avenue, Donaghmeade left his mobile phone in the vehicle when he escaped from the car he stole after it skidded into a ditch following a high-speed garda chase.

The garda helicopter had also been called into action when Purdy drove at speeds of 120 mph having stolen a rented car after a tourist parked it in Drogheda on June 6, 2006.

Purdy pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, possession of a stolen car and having no insurance on July 30, 2006. He had 54 pervious convictions here which were mostly for road traffic offences, and 27 convictions from the United Kingdom, including a four and a half year jail term for robbery.

Judge McCartan said Purdy represented a "significant threat to the community and will continue to do so if he continues to use drugs".

He said despite a claim that Purdy was drug free, a urine analysis report before the court indicated that on 20 occasions between November 5, 2007 and February 2, 3008, there were traces of illegal drugs in his system.

Judge McCartan noted that Purdy was driving at "excessive speeds" and managed to avoid arrest "even though he was being pursued by armed gardaí".

He suspended the last year of the sentence on condition that Purdy be of good behaviour and keep the peace when releases from prison after noting that he had a "harsh road ahead of him".

Garda Shane Graham agreed with defence counsel, Mr Pieter Le Vert BL, that Purdy was paid by "others" to steal cars which were later used in "more serious crime" after Judge McCartan enquired what was the connection between a drug abuser and stealing cars.

Gda Graham said Purdy "would drive the car from point A to point B and he would be given money he would then use to feed his habit".

Gda Graham agreed with Mr Le Vert that Purdy had "a very extensive heroin addiction" at the time which led to his offending behaviour.

Mr Le Vert told Judge McCartan that Purdy was now in the drug free unit of the prison and that this was the first occasion he had been off heroin in a long period of time.

He said he had started his drug abuse by dabbling in "ecstasy" and started using heroin to get him through the "down period" users experience from "ecstasy" .

Gda Graham told prosecuting counsel, Mr Vincent Heneghan BL, that Purdy was spotted by gardai on July 30, 2006 driving a stolen Skoda Octavia on the M1 motorway near the junction with the N32.

He failed to stop when indicated to do so by gardai and accelerated away driving the wrong way round a roundabout on Clonshaugh Road before he lost control of the vehicle on a bad turn and skidded into a ditch.

Gardaí shouted at him not to get out the vehicle and told him that he was surrounded by armed officers but Purdy got onto the roof of the car holding "something" in his hand before he jumped into the ditch.

Gda Graham said he was not able to follow Purdy through the ditch and other gardaí were called into assist, including the garda helicopter but he managed to escape. The car had false registration plates but gardaí were able to trace it back to the stolen vehicle using the chassis number.

Purdy was later arrested at his home where he denied stealing it but accepted that a mobile phone found in it belonged to him.