A man whose twin brother died tragically last summer has received a two-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Mark Taylor (32) of Rossfield Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24, was sentenced to two years in prison for allowing himself to be carried in a stolen car at an unknown location on December 3rd, 2019.
At his sentence hearing on Friday, the court heard it was not suggested that Taylor had been involved in stealing the Nissan car from outside a house in Orwell Park, Templeogue in Dublin on the day in question.
Garda Stephen Walsh told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that the car was crashed after it was stolen and was later recovered in the Cabra area.
Certain items were seized including a glove, a hat and a bottle of Yop yoghurt drink. These were later analysed and found to contain DNA matching Taylor, linking him to the offence.
Gda Walsh said the owner of the car submitted a victim impact report, detailing how he had bought the vehicle for €20,000. The court heard there was €14,000 worth of damage done to the car in the crash.
Custody
Taylor has 152 previous convictions, of which 76 were in the Circuit Court, including road traffic, drugs and public order offences, assault causing harm, unauthorised taking of vehicles, theft, burglary and endangerment.
He has been in custody since last October as part of a five-year sentence for endangerment concerning an incident which took place about a week after this offence, the court heard.
Sarah Connolly BL, defending, said Taylor had written a letter to the court and, although he had amassed a large number of convictions, he has also undergone a massive change in his life with the loss of his twin brother last year.
Ms Connolly said her client Mark Taylor got compassionate bail to attend his brother’s funeral, which was covered widely in the media as there was public upset at aspects of the funeral.
She said his brother’s death had hit home to Taylor that he could not continue his offending and that he now hoped to step in to be a father-figure to his late brother’s children.
Judge Martin Nolan noted that Taylor is already serving an eight-year sentence with the final three years suspended and is not due for release until March 25th, 2025.
He said Taylor’s behaviour in this offence was of lesser culpability than his previous offences, such that he did not feel he should extend Taylor’s stay in prison.
Taylor was sentenced to two years to date from Friday.
