A BALLYFERMOT man who assaulted a taxi driver while on bail, for ramming a Garda car with a stolen car at 160 km/h, has been given a six-year jail sentence.
Anthony Dennis (23), who has 107 previous convictions, laughed as he swerved to hit the patrol car. A month later while on bail for this offence, he and a co-accused told his assault victim: “We are untouchable.”
Dennis, Lally Road, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting William Brennan causing him harm at Ormonde Quay on September 11th, 2006, and to reckless endangerment and dangerous driving on August 25th, 2006. Mr Brennan’s skull was fractured.
Mr Brennan outlined in his victim impact report, which was read to the court, the long-term physical effects of the assault such as loss of feeling in the left hand side of his face, the loss of his senses of taste and smell, vertigo, and the loss of his hearing in one ear for four months.
Judge Frank O’Donnell told Dennis: “You display a complete disregard for the strictures placed on you by society” and said he deserved more then the five-year maximum sentence for assault causing harm.
Judge O’Donnell imposed consecutive sentences totalling six years and suspended the final two years on strict conditions.
Garda Chris Cahill said Mark Brennan was out with friends at Zanzibar nightclub in September 2006 when a man bumped into him on the dance floor and told him: “You are dead after this.”
This man and Dennis followed Mr Brennan as he left the nightclub so he rang his uncle, William Brennan, who was a taxi driver to come and collect him.
On arrival, William Brennan told the men he was not afraid of them and one of the men replied: “We can threaten who we want. We can get you both done, one phone call. We are untouchable.”
Garda Cahill said Dennis began to kick the side of Mr Brennan’s taxi and when he went to remonstrate with him the two men jumped on him.
Dennis punched him in the face while the other men held him and when he let him go, the back of Mr Brennan’s head hit the pavement. The two men ran from the scene but were identified by witnesses and Dennis was arrested.
Garda Paul McHugh told the court he observed Dennis driving a stolen car at about 160 km/h along the Kylemore Road. Garda McHugh said the patrol car caught up with Dennis as he was spinning the car in a circle on Decies Road. Dennis drove at the patrol car swerving to hit it on the passenger side.
Defence counsel Pieter Le Vert said Dennis had “gone off the rails” when his mother died four years ago and began to dabble in drink and drugs. He said his father was now ill and Dennis had twice been granted compassionate bail since going into custody and had abided by all the conditions.