Banned driver (27) who dragged garda along in stolen car while on bail is jailed

Sunday World

10 hours ago

Dylan Hafford pleaded guilty to charges of endangerment and criminal damage
A 27-year-old man who reversed a stolen car away from a garda who was attempting to arrest him, dragging the officer along, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment.
Dylan Hafford, Francis Street, Drogheda, pleaded guilty to charges of endangerment and criminal damage stemming from the incident. Two counts of dangerous driving were taken into consideration.
Separately, he admitted a robbery with a false imprisonment charge taken into consideration, while an old case was back in front of Judge Dara Hayes because the defendant did not meet conditions of a suspended portion of a sentence.
Gda John Walsh gave evidence that on August 23, 2024, Gardaí spotted Mr Hafford putting fuel in a Nissan March at Applegreen, Newfoundwell Road, Drogheda.
They knew that he was disqualified from driving, while the car was flagged as stolen.
Gardaí followed him to a carpark at Eurospar, Bredin Street. As on officer approached the defendant recognised him as a garda.
He reversed, grabbing the guard's arm, effectively dragging him back for a short distance.
Hafford crashed into an unmarked garda jeep in which another officer was sitting, deploying the airbags. The damage amounted to €9,392.
CCTV footage of the incident was played in court.
He continued to reverse at speed and exited the carpark. This car drove on the wrong side of the road and was weaving in and out of traffic, forcing other motorists to take evasive action.
Gardaí lost sight of the car and later found it parked at the Boyne Valley Business Park.
No serious injuries were caused.
The accused was arrested on the following October 10 during an unrelated search.
Dylan Hafford was on bail at the time, while the incident occurred during the currency of the suspended sentence.
Gda Aoife Flood said that the defendant was the driver when two men went into Centra, Main Street, Dunleer, at 5.40am on April 7, 2022.
One pointed a Stanley knife at an employee who said that he didn't know where the safe was.
The intruder threatened to cut his face off before warning him to stay in the kitchen.
The men left, grabbing €25-worth of Heineken cans, cigarettes and a charity collection box.
Investigators were able to identify Mr Hafford as the driver from CCTV. The car was found in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda with a cash till in the rear.
He was arrested on May 4, 2022, and charged on July 18, 2024. A delay in submission of a file to the DPP accounted for the more than two-year gap.
The court also heard that he was released from a three-year, three-month sentence, the final 18 months suspended, on May 20, 2024.
He stopped attending Probation Service appointments on August 22.
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Under cross-examination by barrister Stephen Faulkner, a probation officer said that Dylan Hafford contacted him the same day last August that he found a dead body in a field in Drogheda and attended an appointment the next day.
He had helped gardaí in the subsequent investigation.
Mr Faulkner submitted that the defendant's disengagement with the Probation Service began after discovering the body.
There were 19 previous convictions.
The defendant is a father of one and youngest of three children. His parents separated. He had no history of employment and had serious drugs and alcohol issues.
He wrote a letter of apology in which he stated he had 'slipped through the cracks of society'. He had spent most of his life in custody.
Judge Hayes said that the garda in the carpark could easily have been driven over. He could have had serious injuries if not worse. It was fortunate that didn't happen.
This was an attack on Gardaí in the course of their duty and an attempt to flee. It was 'extremely dangerous' use of a stolen car while disqualified.
The judge continued that Hafford acted as an accomplice in the Dunleer incident.
A knife had been produced and a man was threatened that he would have his face cut. It was an extremely serious robbery.
Concurrent jail terms of three years and 3 months were imposed on the endangerment and criminal damage charges, consecutive to two-and-a-half years for robbery. The reactivation of the 18-month suspended sentence was marked concurrent leaving a total of 5 years and nine months.
Judge Hayes said that he would suspend the final 21 months for two years 'with some reluctance'.
A sentence of four years was backdated to October 26 last.
This report was updated at June 27, 16.05 upon completion of sentencing.
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.