Arrest warrant issued for former rugby great over not appearing in court for carjacking sentencing

David Raleigh

A judge issued an arrest warrant for a former Limerick rugby star over his failure to appear in court for sentencing after he took a woman’s car with her in it, and crashed it, two years ago.

Diarmuid McCarthy (36), of no fixed abode, Limerick, had “great things expected of him as a rugby player” but “addiction” destroyed his life, his solicitor, Turlough Herbert, told a bail hearing for McCarthy in 2024.

Herbert, who was a member of the Limerick senior hurling squad in the mid-1990s, described McCarthy as having previously been “very well known in Limerick as an exceptional sports talent”.

“There were great things expected of him as a rugby player, but somewhere along the line, it is accepted that something went wrong, and it is all related to addiction,” Herbert told the 2024 bail hearing.

McCarthy was due to appear before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing on May 21st last, however his barrister, Pat Whyms, , told the sentencing judge Colin Daly, that McCarthy was not present as he had “gone to collect his dole”.

The judge ordered a bench warrant for McCarthy’s arrest. He is to be sentenced in respect of charges of unlawful taking of a car, dangerous driving, and criminal damage to the car.

Gardai previously gave evidence that on August 24, 2024, McCarthy opened the door of a parked car at Ballinacurra Road, Limerick that contained a 61-year-old female driver.

The woman had pulled over to the side of the road to take a video call from her daughter who was living abroad at the time, when McCarthy opened the door and demanded the woman’s car keys.

McCarthy was intoxicated, and the woman handed over the keys and exited the car, gardaí said.

Gardaí said the entire car-jacking incident had been overheard by the woman’s daughter who was still on the video-call.

McCarthy drove off in the car dangerously and at speed before he eventually crashed it into bollards at Foxes Bow, Limerick, before fleeing the scene, gardaí said.

The victim told gardaí she was fearful at the time because she did not know what McCarthy was capable of, and she said both she and her daughter were shaken by the incident.

Gardaí said McCarthy was known to them as being a drug user and that when he was arrested he was under the influence of an intoxicant.

McCarthy’s solicitor said McCarthy had lived a chaotic lifestyle due to addiction but that he had engaged with a drug rehabilitation service to try to turn his life around.