Jailed for attempting to hot wire a vehicle

Damien McMahon, whose address was given as courtesy of HMP Maghaberry, pleaded guilty to a charge of taking a car without authority on September 4 last year.

He was further charged with a count of criminal damage on the same date.

The magistrates’ court was told that the injured party had parked her car outside her boyfriend’s house, however, when she woke up the following morning and saw her car, she noticed that it had been moved a short distance.

On closer inspection she noticed that the window in the car had been smashed, the steering column had been removed and an attempt had been made to hot wire the vehicle.

Blood was found on the steering column and forensic testing identified that it came from McMahon.

During police interview, McMahon claimed he had never been in the car, but when the forensic evidence was put to him, he claimed he had been in the car with the injured party and he had taken a nose bleed.

Paddy MacDermott, defending, said his client has a bad record and was currently serving a sentence for other matter.

He urged the court not to interfere with McMahon’s release date of April next year.

District Judge McElholm jailed the defendant for six months, concurrent to the present sentence his serving.