A serial car thief, who stole a car from a tourist and drove it dangerously through Dublin city centre during the day, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for multiple driving offences.
In another incident, 30-year-old Carl McGuinness attempted to steal a car from a man while wielding an axe, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told, reports RTE.
McGuinness, who has no fixed address, pleaded guilty to several offences, including taking vehicles, attempted theft, and dangerous driving in Dublin between August 2024 and May 2025, reports RTE.
With 106 previous convictions, 95 of which are road traffic related, McGuinness has a long history of offending. Judge Martina Baxter described him as a recidivist who showed “clear disdain” for other road users who were subjected to his reckless driving.
McGuinness was on bail during some of these crimes, and a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest the day before he engaged in further dangerous driving, the court heard, reports RTE. reports RTE.
Judge Baxter remarked that McGuinness “had no regard for the harm he was causing” and acknowledged that while he showed remorse after each incident, he needs to address his repeated offending and his lack of victim insight.
The judge handed down a ten-year sentence, backdated to May 2025 when McGuinness was taken into custody, and suspended the final year under conditions to allow for “genuine rehabilitation.” He was also disqualified from driving for ten years, reports RTE.
In the first incident, McGuinness pleaded guilty to taking a motorbike without the owner’s consent in Dublin city centre on 28 August 2024.
The owner of the €5,000 Ducati motorbike found it had been stolen from outside Peter’s Pub in Dublin 2. When recovered at nearby Mercer Flats, the motorbike was severely damaged, and the parts had to be replaced, reports RTE.
CCTV footage showed McGuinness and a co-accused pushing the motorbike to the flats, with McGuinness riding it at one point, described by Detective Garda Joseph Heafy as “the very definition of a joyride.”
McGuinness also pleaded guilty to attempting to rob a car from a man at Main Street in Finglas on 5 October 2024. Armed with an axe, he tried to steal the car, but the victim had the key in his pocket, causing the car to stop just a few metres away before McGuinness fled the scene, reports RTE.
Three months later, McGuinness stole a Toyota Yaris from a tourist who had briefly left the car unattended at the Gresham Hotel car park.
He drove the car at high speed down the wrong side of several busy city streets, running red lights and causing chaos. He was pursued by gardaà but did not stop, hitting a Dublin Bus along the way. The car was eventually found abandoned and crashed at Aston Quay, needing to be written off at a cost of €27,000.
McGuinness was arrested shortly after near Dublin 1 and was found in possession of crack cocaine. He pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including unlawful taking of a vehicle, dangerous driving, damaging the bus, and possession of cocaine, reports RTE.
The final incident took place on 24 May 2025, when McGuinness stole an Audi from a woman who had parked it in Ballybough, Dublin 3, to charge her phone, reports RTE.
The woman discovered the car missing and CCTV showed McGuinness driving erratically, lifting two wheels off the ground. He crashed into a van and was pursued by gardaÃ. The car was eventually written off, but the woman’s Louis Vuitton handbag was not recovered.
At the time of the theft, McGuinness was on bail for other offences and a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest for failing to appear in court the day before, reports RTE.
He pleaded guilty to unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, stealing a handbag and phone, failing to report the accident, two counts of dangerous driving, and driving while intoxicated.
Defence counsel Pieter Le Vert BL stated that McGuinness has a long-standing drug addiction and that while he performs well in custody, he struggles with relapse after his release, reports RTE.
He has lost his relationship due to his addiction issues, but his mother and grandparents provide support, according to his defence.
Mr. Le Vert also noted that McGuinness is “always extremely remorseful about what he has done when he is on drugs,” reports RTE.
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