Man admits to hijacking car to 'secure' return to jail

A heroin-addict father of two who told gardaí he hijacked a woman's car with her infant child in it and then tried to rob a pharmacy because he wanted to be returned to prison has been jailed for three years.

Darren Osbourne (aged 37) allowed the woman to take her three-year-old child out of the car after he pointed an imitation firearm at her while demanding the keys but ran away when he couldn't start the vehicle.

Osbourne also claimed he was in fear of his life and defence counsel, Mr Feargal Kavanagh SC, handed a document into court which he said Osbourne claimed was "a threatening letter" he received in the post.

Osbourne of Rushenny Village, Hartstown pleaded guilty to unlawfully seizing control of a car on the Blakestown Road in Blanchardstown and to attempted robbery and production of an imitation firearm at Blanchardstown Village Pharmacy, on November 24, 2006.

Judge O'Donnell told Osbourne that he was "at an age when he should be getting sense" and imposed concurrent sentences totalling three years. He recommended that the prison authorities take whatever steps they deemed necessary to ensure Osbourne's safety in custody.

Garda Jim McDevitt told prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Greene BL, that staff at the pharmacy were able to overpower Osbourne and his co-accused when they raided the shop wearing scarves over their mouths.

Garda McDevitt said that a student garda who happened to be passing at the time assisted the staff and held the raiders until he arrived and took them into custody.

Osbourne and his accomplice had hailed down a taxi to bring them to the pharmacy after his failed hijack of the woman's car. He had threatened to shoot her with the imitation weapon if she didn't give him the keys.

McDevitt said Osbourne had 29 previous convictions which were all dealt with in the District Court and involved road traffic and theft offences. His co-accused is still awaiting trial.

Garda McDevitt agreed with Mr Kavanagh (with Ms Martina Baxter BL) that Osbourne was intoxicated at the time of his arrest and gardaí were not able to interview him for a number of hours as a result.

He accepted Osbourne was somebody - "be it deluded or not" - who believed his life was in danger from "others" and told gardaí he committed the offences because he wanted to go back into custody.

Garda McDevitt further accepted that Osbourne had taken "small steps" to deal with both his heroin and alcohol addictions.

Mr Kavanagh said Osbourne was "sorry" for his actions that day. He said Osbourne was twice involved in serious road traffic accidents which left him with significant head injuries.

He needed re-constructive surgery following a motorbike accident in 1996 and had been knocked down as a four-year-old child.