Car-jacker pleads guilty to further violent offence

A father-of-four awaiting finalisation of a sentence for a violent car-jacking incident in Athlone has pleaded guilty to a separate incident of assault causing harm.

Dylan Poynton (27), of Castlegrove, Castlepollard, Westmeath, appeared before Judge Kenneth Connolly at Mullingar Circuit Court this week, where he entered the guilty plea.

The assault took place at a location in River Village, Athlone, on October 13, 2022. No evidence has been heard yet.

Judge Connolly adjourned the case to July 9, when Mr Poynton will have a previous eight-year sentence imposed by Judge Keenan Johnson finalised.

That sentence relates to a violent car-jacking alongside another man, David Marshall (21), of Newtown Lawns, Mullingar, Westmeath, in Athlone last November.

Both men appeared before the court in April, when evidence was heard of how they violently forced a woman out of her car, then filmed themselves driving it at high speed while “off their heads” on drink and drugs.

Both men were handed custodial sentences of eight years each. Judge Johnson suspended the final year of the sentence imposed on Mr Marshall, who came before the court with 96 previous convictions, including road traffic offences, attempted robbery, robbery, assault and criminal damage.

Mr Poynton will return before the court in July, when a probation report will determine whether a year of his sentence will also be suspended. He has 24 previous convictions, including assault, dangerous driving, and a number of other driving offences.

The car-jacking offence took place on Thursday November 14, 2024, when the injured party was parking her grey Nissan Micra at the Fairgreen car park in Athlone, so she could get the train to Dublin for work at approximately 7.20am.

The men violently forced her out of her car, took it and drove up the motorway towards Dublin at high speed, while weaving dangerously between other vehicles.

The two men, who were “off their heads on drink and drugs” at the time, filmed themselves and posted their actions on Snapchat.

The car was spotted by gardaí in Lucan at 9.10am, driving at high speed. Gardaí followed the vehicle to Mount Andrew Close, where they observed it crashing into the boundary wall of a house, causing €2,500 worth of damage.

The men exited the vehicle and fled and, while Mr Marshall was arrested that morning, Mr Poynton evaded arrest until January 12, 2025, when gardaí observed him in the seating area of a filling station in Castlepollard. He tried to hide under a table when he saw gardaí approach, but was arrested.

Judge Johnson said that it was the “worst case of dangerous driving I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been on the bench for 30 years”.

“It was absolutely scandalous. It’s an absolute miracle there wasn’t carnage. It was outrageous driving. In one instance they drove between two vehicles that were parallel to each other. It’s quite clear both were off their heads but that is no excuse,” he said.

Judge Connolly, this week, ordered that the assault charge be considered within the pre-sanctioned probation report and put the case back to July 9, when it will reappear before Judge Johnson.