Man assaulted guard, escaped custody and stole jeep

A prisoner assaulted a garda and absconded from Nenagh Courthouse before stealing a jeep and trailer outside the town.

Nenagh District Court heard that the incident occurred on August 7 last. John Casey (27) pushed a garda in the precincts of the courthouse and escaped, making his way to Carrigatoher.

There he found an unattended jeep and trailer with the key left in the ignition. Mr Casey made off in the vehicle, which was recovered by gardaí the following day in a cul-de-sac at Thomondgate in Limerick city. CCTV footage showed the defendant walking towards the injured party’s house in Carrigatoher.

Mr Casey, of Bay 1, Toppinsfield, John Carew Park, Limerick, had previous convictions for domestic violence, dangerous driving and theft. He was serving a 10-year driving ban at the time of the offences in Nenagh.

His counsel said Mr Casey was suffering from psychosis and outlined the defendant’s medical condition to the court. He had not taken his prescribed medication for some time and “the pressure of the situation impacted his mental state, fearing going into custody”. While he had a “chequered past”, Mr Casey had never done anything of such magnitude before. He was now in prison where he was on medication and “doing much better”.

Judge Marie Keane described the defendant’s behaviour as “outrageous”. She was particularly concerned with his impact on the farming community in Carrigatoher, noting that agriculture was at a “heightened level of activity” at the time of the offence. Judge Keane sentenced Mr Casey to a total of six months in prison and refused to backdate the imprisonment to when he was first taken into custody.