Man who escaped from prison van receives suspended sentence

A handcuffed man jumped out of the vehicle transporting him to prison, while it slowed at traffic lights, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Judge Frank O'Donnell heard that the Garda Air Support Unit and gardaí on the ground spent an hour and a half searching for him but he managed to escape to the UK.

John Francis Mongan (aged 20) of Foxwood, Finnswood, Lucan pleaded guilty to escaping from custody on February 27, 2007 at the junction of Kennelsfort Road and Palmerston Road.

Sergeant Traolach Short told Mr Paul Greene BL, prosecuting, that Mongan was being transported from Dún Laoghaire Garda station to Cloverhill prison after being caught for a minor offence the night before.

"In late December we learned he was living under the name Eoin Mitchell in an apartment in Ratoath," explained the sergeant.

Although he first gave that false name to the gardaí found him, Mongan eventually pleaded guilty and has been in custody since January.

Sergeant Short said Mongan had previous convictions for theft of a vehicle and driving without licence or insurance. He also obtained convictions in the UK, under the name of Eoin Mitchell, a few months after he had escaped from gardaí.

Mongan's wife sobbed and was comforted by other family members as her husband entered the witness box.

"I'm very, very sorry for what I done your honour," he said. "The reason I did it at the time was that my wife was having difficulties with the pregnancy."

He explained that he had two baby daughters but has been in custody for most of the life of one of them.

"One will be one next Wednesday. She's not even christened yet," he told Mr Michael Maloney BL, defending. He said his wife was raising the children "on the dole" but that he had been offered a job on the outside.

"If he had been less foolish, he'd be a free man now," said Judge O'Donnell. "Despite the fact you'd have to face no offence, you put everyone through this expense and trouble."

He imposed a two-year sentence, but suspended it from today, so Mongan left court a free man.

"Don't come back before me," warned the judge.