Woman who hijacked taxi in Dublin’s Phoenix Park jailed for 4½ years

A woman who hijacked a taxi in Dublin’s Phoenix Park after using the seat belt to choke the driver, rendering him temporarily unconscious, has been jailed for 4½ years.
Donna Dineen (28) then dragged the driver out of the vehicle and punched or kicked him in the face before she drove off in the taxi, a court has heard.
The victim, a man who was then in his late 60s, has not driven a taxi since.
Dineen, previously of Charlemont Terrace, Wellington Road, Cork, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful seizure of a vehicle and assault causing harm at Phoenix Park, Dublin, on July 26th, 2023.
Her co-accused, Gillian Byrne (38), who is pregnant and currently living in hostel accommodation, is to be sentenced next year after she pleaded guilty to the unlawful seizure of a vehicle and assault causing harm on the same date.
At a previous hearing, Detective Garda Mark Reilly told the court that Byrne rang 999 immediately afterwards to tell gardaí about the offence and her role in it.
At a hearing on Thursday, Judge Orla Crowe adjourned finalising Byrne’s sentence and ordered a probation report to be prepared for sentencing on February 28th next.
Judge Crowe sentenced Dineen on Wednesday. She said Dineen had been the principal actor and had left the victim “battered and bruised on the ground” before driving off in his taxi. She said a significant custodial sentence was warranted as it had been “a particularly brutal assault”.
Judge Crowe imposed a sentence of five years and three months. She suspended the final nine months on strict conditions, including that Dineen remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for 12 months.
Dineen has 67 previous convictions, including robbery, road traffic and criminal damage offences.
Det Garda Reilly agreed with Mark Lynam SC, defending, that Byrne had a “passive role” in the hijacking and the assault and had not known they were about to happen.
Counsel said Byrne did not know Dineen until that morning and had been of the understanding that they were going to the park to collect a car. Mr Lynam said his client was very remorseful and horrified by what had happened to the taxi-driver, whom she described as a “lovely man”.
Counsel said Byrne had requested to be sentenced separately to Dineen and that she had allegedly been assaulted by associates of the other woman close to the court.
She is due a baby in April, the court heard.
A psychological report outlined that Byrne has borderline cognitive functioning and was described as easily led and eager to please.
Counsel said there was an “ongoing threat” to Byrne and that it was “not a good situation” for her to be going into prison, especially while she is expecting a baby.