Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin subjected to violent theft at his home
Sarah Slater
Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin John Stephens and his family were subjected to a violent and terrifying theft outside their home over the weekend.
The wife and daughter of Fianna Fáil councillor and potential party candidate in the forthcoming north-inner-city by-election for the Cabra-Glasnevin area, were terrorised by a number of young men attempting to steal their cars from the driveway of their home in the early hours of Saturday last.
At around 5.30 am, Cllr Stephens' wife and daughter, who do not want to be named, were woken from their sleep by banging and shouting outside their home in Cabra. Terrified, they phoned Cllr Stephens as he was not in the house due to working nights at the Mater Hospital.
He told them to phone the gardaí straight away and not to go outside.
“What happened was utterly shocking for us all. I had to listen on the phone to the turmoil which was unfolding, unable to do anything, knowing I could do very little. I left work as quickly as I could to get to them, not knowing what I was going to find when I got there ” he explained.
“They, we are unsure of the number, around three young men, maybe more, began physically dragging my wife’s 10-year-old car out of the way and out of the drive while hitting it off a vehicle belonging to one of our neighbours. My wife’s car was badly damaged and that of our neighbour’s,” Cllr Stephens said.
“They thought the men were going to attempt to get into the house. Then, they targeted my 22-year-old daughter’s car, smashed in all of the windows, took a vice grips and crowbar, then forced the boot and doors open.
"They then got in and drove off at speed - all of which my wife and daughter witnessed as they looked on from the house. To say they were absolutely terrified is an understatement. My wife and daughter are still terrified, and it’s several days later after the incident.”
Cllr Stephens explained that because his daughter, who works as a nurse, had a relatively new car, it had a built-in tracker which detailed where it was being driven.
“She could see from her mobile phone app that her car was being driven towards Blanchardstown, where it was abandoned.
"Everything inside the car was taken, and the car was damaged beyond belief. It is probably going to be written off while my wife’s car is in a terrible mess too as is our neighbour's vehicle,’ he continued.
The councillor revealed that his daughter “remains in a terrible state” since the incident. “She is distraught to witness what she did and feels violated by what happened and by what she could have prevented.
"While she was tracking where the car was being driven to she even thought she would go after them, not thinking about danger in doing that.”
Cllr Stephens said that the gardaí dealt with the incident as quickly as they could.
A bicycle and vice gripswere left at the scene, along with the outside of the house, and cars are currently being forensically tested by gardai. A video doorbell at their home captured some footage of the incident as did his neighbour’s CCTV.
Gardai are understood to be following a number of lines of inquiry, one of which stems from an incident on Christmas Day at Glasnevin cemetery when the councillor was there at 9am laying a wreath on his mother’s grave.
“While I was there, there were up to 12 adolescents on scramblers running amok in the graveyard. I was utterly appalled by what was happening and shouted at them to stop. Words were exchanged, and they eventually went off, “ he recounted.
Cllr Stephens explained for the last number of months, he has been liaising with garda management over the urgent need for an increase in the number of officers in the area.
“This area, of Blanchardstown and Cabra, has the fastest growing population in the country and not enough gardaí. I’ve been told by garda management that another 25 officers are needed.
“I think some of the problem is that youths have very little to do around here, that’s why sports facilities, education around sports, and more green areas are vital to give them a focus and outlet. Around here, we’ve helped to establish John Paul Park and a family resource centre to help.”
CCTV, lighting and further security measures are to be placed around the deputy Lord Mayor’s home this week.
Councillors currently have a €2,500 security allowance due to fears of intimidation and harassment.
The allowance for local authority members is expected to rise to €10,000 under reforms agreed by the Department of Local Government.
Measures considered under the security allowance include intruder alarms, fixed panic buttons and CCTV cameras.
Political representative groups have told the department the existing scheme is deficient, too limited in its scope and carried with it a range of impractical administrative requirements.
In a statement, gardai said that they responded to an incident involving criminal damage and the theft of a car from a residential premises in Cabra, Dublin 7 at approximately 5:30am on Saturday
“The car was later recovered, and investigations are currently ongoing,” the statement said.
