Suspended sentence for man who attacked driver and took his car

A WEXFORD town defendant who assaulted a Bunclody man in a lane before taking his car was given a two-year suspended prison sentence when he appeared before Judge Cormac Quinn at Wexford Circuit Criminal Court.

Before the court was 23-yar-old Patrick Boyle, of 7 Marian Row, Wexford, who pleaded guilty to robbing Chris Atkinson of a silver Toyota Corolla, its keys and contents, to the value of €2,700 at Chapel Lane in Bunclody on September 2, 2016.

Sgt. Sharon Hannon told Prosecuting Counsel Sinead Gleeson that just after he parked and locked his car in the poorly lit Chapel Lane around 11 p.m., Chris Atkinson was attacked from behind and knocked to the ground, hitting his head and receiving cuts to his face. He does not know anything more about what happened.

Sgt. Hannon told the court that witnesses to the attack came to the aid of the victim and called the gardaí.

People did try to apprehend the defendant but he managed to get away in the stolen car.

Defence Counsel Philip Sheahan said that there was a €2,700 cheque from the defendant available in court to cover Mr. Atkinson’s losses. He pointed out that the victim had made a full physical recovery.

Sgt. Hannon told the court she had made contact with the injured party who was willing to accept the cheque.

Mr. Sheahan said Boyle had fallen into substance abuse at the time, leading to impulsive behaviour.

He said that the defendant had been before courts from a young age and rarely left without a custodial sentence. He maintained that there was nothing to lose by putting this matter back to allow time for Boyle to prove his mettle, as he was now in fulltime employment.

Judge Quinn said at a previous sitting he had to ask the defendant on several occasions to leave the court, but that on this occasion Boyle had sat through the day and looked a different person.

The judge said that while this was a serious robbery, with the injured party suffering physical and psychological injuries, he would take into account the defendant’s background and his plea of guilty.

Sentencing Patrick Boyle to two years in prison, Judge Quinn said that in view of the defendant now being in full time employment, with his life seemingly turning around, he would suspend the sentence in its entirety, on the defendant entering a bond of €200 to keep the peace for a period of two years, remain drugs free and attend a drugs treatment course.