Member of organised criminal group involved in operation to steal luxury cars jailed
A member of an organised criminal group involved in an operation to steal luxury cars all over the country has been jailed for three years at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. Pic: Larry Cummins
A member of an organised criminal group involved in an operation to steal luxury cars all over the country has been jailed for three years at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The intricately planned but quite simple scam saw parties including 30-year-old Toe Sava of no fixed address in Ireland checking out cars advertised on Donedeal, distracting the owner, switching the spare key and returning later to drive away in cars such as a Mercedes without paying anything.
Detective Garda John Murphy outlined this modus operandi used by the gang at various locations including Killarney, Co Kerry, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, Tipperary town, Dundalk, County Louth, and Conna, County Cork, on different dates in March and April last year.
Toe Sava had a previous conviction from Hertfordshire for the aggravated taking of a vehicle in December 2019.
Defence senior counsel Ray Boland said the accused man’s mother was sick and Mr Sava borrowed €5,000 to send home to her.
The senior counsel added, “Obviously, it is a very serious offence and there was some sophistication to it but three of the five vehicles were recovered.
Judge Colin Daly noted that the cars were valued up to €12,000, €15,000, €33,000, €35,000 and €55,000.
The judge said the impact that these thefts and attempted thefts would have had on the owners was an aggravating factor to be taken into consideration.
The judge imposed a sentence of four years and six months with the last 18 months suspended. A condition of the suspension of that period requires him to leave Ireland within 72 hours of his release from prison after serving the three years and staying away for at least ten years.
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