A JUDGE issued an arrest warrant for a former Limerick rugby star after he failed to appear in court for sentencing over the taking of a woman’s car as she sat parked and crashing it two years ago.
Diarmuid McCarthy (36), of no fixed abode, Limerick, had “great things expected of him as a rugby player” but “addiction” destroyed his life, his solicitor, Turlough Herbert, told a previous bail hearing for Mr McCarthy.
Mr Herbert described McCarthy as having previously been “very well known in Limerick as an exceptional sports talent”.
“There were great things expected of him as a rugby player, but somewhere along the line, it is accepted, that something went wrong, and it is all related to addiction,” Mr Herbert told the 2024 bail hearing.
Mr McCarthy was due to appear before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court for sentence on May 21, however his barrister, Pat Whyms, told Judge Colin Daly that McCarthy was not present as he had “gone to collect his dole”.
The judge ordered a bench warrant for McCarthy’s arrest for sentence in respect of charges of unlawful taking of a car, dangerous driving, and criminal damage.
Gardaí previously gave evidence that on August 24, 2024, McCarthy opened the door of a parked car at Ballinacurra Road, Limerick, that contained a 61-year-old female driver.
The woman had pulled over to the side of the road to take a call from her daughter, who was living abroad at the time, when McCarthy opened the door and demanded the car keys.
McCarthy was intoxicated and the woman handed over the keys and exited the car, Gardaí said.
Gardaí said the entire car-jacking incident had been overheard by the woman’s daughter on the call.
McCarthy drove off dangerously and at speed before he eventually crashed into bollards at Foxes Bow before fleeing the scene, Gardaí said.
The victim told Gardaí she was fearful because she did not know what McCarthy was capable of.
Gardaí said McCarthy was known to them as being a drug user and that when he was arrested he was under the influence of an intoxicant.
McCarthy’s solicitor said McCarthy had lived a chaotic lifestyle due to addiction but he had engaged with a drug rehabilitation service to try to turn his life around.
– Court Reporting Scheme