Thursday 5 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 31065Theft (fuel drive-offs); dangerous driving · Co. Kilkenny

Man jailed for five months over four fuel drive-offs and dangerous driving, Kilkenny

Michael Connors was jailed for five months after driving off without paying for fuel at filling stations four times in early 2021. He was also convicted of dangerous driving, which carried a suspended sentence.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced2 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
19 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA motorist was jailed for five months for putting fuel in his vehicle and driving off without paying on four separate occasions. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • whereThe first drive-off took place at the Circle K filling station at Junction 5 Rathcrogue on the M9. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • whereThe dangerous driving was caught at road works near Coolgrange, Clara. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • whenOn 14 January 2021, Connors put €61.55 of diesel in his car and drove off without paying. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • whenOn 29 January 2021, Connors put €61.43 of diesel in the same car at Applegreen Paulstown and drove away without paying. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • whenOn 13 March 2021, Connors put €54 of petrol into a Peugeot at Applegreen Paulstown and drove away without paying. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • whenOn 28 March 2021, Connors put €92.03 of petrol into a vehicle at Applegreen Paulstown, failed to pay and left. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • whenOn 2 February 2021, a garda saw Connors travelling against him in a patrol car, aware the vehicle was sought over the drive-off offences. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • causeConnors was told to pull in by the garda but accelerated and drove at speed through the road works. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • investigationConnors was identified on CCTV and interviewed over the first offence. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • investigationConnors was identified and later arrested over the 28 March 2021 drive-off. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • chargeMichael Connors was also convicted of dangerous driving. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • courtJudge Geraldine Carthy said Connors was a recidivist offender. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • sentenceFor the drive-off on 28 March 2021, Connors was convicted and sentenced to five months in prison. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • sentenceFor dangerous driving, Connors was convicted and given a three-month sentence, suspended for 18 months on condition he enter a bond to keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • otherThe court heard that Connors had 30 previous convictions, including two for driving off without paying for fuel, imposed the week before. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • otherConnors drove through bollards into an area with workers and overtook three vehicles on a single white line into a blind bend. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • otherThe vehicle was recovered in Tallaght some weeks later. (kilkennypeople.ie)
  • otherThe solicitor said Connors started drinking excessively after his brother died, which led to taking cocaine. (kilkennypeople.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 2 Jul2021
    Sentencedkilkennypeople.ie, first report
    Drove off from petrol station without paying for fuel - FOUR times, Kilkenny court hears

    First report on this case: court report of the sentencing at Kilkenny District Court, covering four fuel drive-offs (January to March 2021) and a dangerous driving incident on 2 February 2021.

    convicted, Michael Connors, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael Connors