Derry court hears man stole vehicle from car dealership after taking it for 'test drive'

Derry Magistrate’s Court has heard that a man stole a vehicle from a car dealership after taking it for a ‘test drive’ and claiming it had been seized by police.

Kevin Murphy, 29, admitted driving while disqualified, having no insurance and handling stolen property – namely a VW Passat – on May 1.

A police officer told the court that Murphy has 112 convictions in the south of Ireland and had also been disqualified from driving for a period of twelve years.

He explained that on Saturday, April 28, the defendant took a car for a test drive from a dealership in the South.

Murphy, of Ennel Park in Dublin, then contacted the garage and claimed the vehicle had been seized and impounded by An Garda Síochána due to ‘insurance issues’.

When the dealership sought clarification on the matter it was informed that no car had been seized but had instead been ‘stolen’, the police officer said.

Efforts were made to intercept the car before it crossed the border into Northern Ireland but Murphy was eventually arrested in Strabane for the aforementioned offences.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said his client went to a car dealership ‘well known to him and his family’ to purchase a car for his partner, who is the mother of his three children.

An agreement was made, he explained, and Murphy arranged to pay for it on Monday as he was waiting for a cheque to clear.

Mr Quigley accepted that it was unusual for a car dealership to allow a prospective buyer to take the car for a test drive unaccompanied.

However, he added that there was a text message on his client’s phone showing the bank details of the dealership concerned and a text explaining the situation.

He suggested the handling stolen goods charge came into effect on Monday when Murphy failed to provide payment.

The defence solicitor said Murphy had driven to Redcastle to ‘pick up his cousin’ and was on his way back when he was stopped.

The court was also told the defendant has a ‘fairly extensive record’ for road traffic matters.

District Judge Barney McElholm said he was ‘a bit hamstrung’ by not having access to the defendant’s criminal record, an issue that is going to be raised in a ‘particular forum shortly’.

The defendant was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years and banned from driving in Northern Ireland for two years.

Judge McElholm advised Murphy that it ‘may be better staying out of this jurisdiction’ because if he’s back within the next two years for committing any further offences the starting point will be six months in prison.