Thief jailed over killing of man while stealing his car

A MAN who stole a car before ‘callously killing’ its owner by throwing him from the bonnet as he was driving off has been jailed for nineand-a-half years.

Adam Murphy and co-accused Keith McCormick-Smith, both 22, had been committing a ‘spree’ of crimes, in which they were robbing cars and planning to sell them.

Murphy had stolen Ian McDonnell’s car while he was in his place of work, Ozone Car Sales on Robinhood Road, Dublin 22, before driving off with Mr McDonnell on the bonnet. The car could be seen accelerating, and Mr McDonnell was carried 46 metres. He was then thrown from the bonnet and onto the roadway, and Murphy drove away. Mr McDonnell died shortly afterwards.

Sentencing the men yesterday, Judge Dara Hayes said Mr McDonnell had been ‘callously killed by Adam Murphy’. The judge said the two men ‘left Mr McDonnell dying on the roadway as they fled to continue their spree of thefts’, which had been done ‘for the sake of whatever sum of money he hoped to get for a six-year-old family car’.

‘Callous disregard’ for life of victim

Judge Hayes said the aggravating factors included the ‘callous disregard that each showed for the life of Ian McDonnell’, the fact that both men had relevant previous convictions, that the crimes were committed as part of a ‘spree’ and that this offending was premeditated.

Murphy, of Cherry Orchard Crescent, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr McDonnell on January 23, 2022. He further pleaded guilty to other counts relating to the incident. McCormick-Smith, 22, of Riverview, Church Road, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to take a vehicle, and other counts relating to the incident. He further pleaded guilty to one count of possession of stolen property in the form of a car key at his address on February 8, 2022.

Murphy was sentenced to 12 years, but Judge Hayes suspended the final two-and-a-half years. He sentenced McCormick-Smith to three years and two months’ imprisonment, but suspended the final year.