Taxi driver fled onto M50 motorway during hijacking ordeal

Isabel Hayes

A man who took part in hijacking a taxi on the M50, in which the driver tried to escape on the busy motorway, has been jailed for three years.

Judge Martin Nolan said it was lucky there were no collisions as a result of the incident, which took place close to the M50 Finglas junction on September 15, 2024.

Robert Brogan (41) of Charles Stewart Hotel, Parnell Street, Dublin 1, came forward on a signed guilty plea at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of hijacking on that date. His co-accused has taken a bench warrant.

Garda Gavin Campbell told the court that he was on patrol on the date in question when he noticed the driver’s seat of a car open on the M50. An articulated lorry had just overtaken the car immediately prior to this, the court heard.

The gardaí pulled up behind the vehicle in question and found Brogan and a co-accused in the process of trying to hijack a taxi driver.

The driver had been trying to escape the car after Brogan's co-accused pulled his hair and arm as he was driving and threatened to kill him.

Brogan was in the front passenger seat during the incident, the court heard.

He was arrested and told gardaí he had no memory of the incident. He has 94 previous convictions, including public order, criminal damage and misuse of drugs. This is his first circuit court matter.

The driver declined to make a victim impact statement.

Defence counsel said Brogan had a long history of drug abuse and was taking tablets at the time of the offence. He came forward on a signed guilty plea, which is a sign of early remorse, counsel submitted.

Sentencing him on Friday, Judge Martin Nolan said the offence could have had serious consequences. He noted Brogan was intoxicated at the time and has been “afflicted by addictive problems for a number of years”.

He set a headline sentence of five years, which he reduced to three years, taking mitigating factors into account.