Jail for man who drove car into pedestrian

A DRIVER who chased and drove into another man in a feud-related attack was jailed for more than two years at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.

Michael Shannon, (31), Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, Limerick, pleaded guilty in court to affray, and to producing an iron bar during the course of the violent episode at Hyde Avenue, Limerick City.

The court heard that on April 4, 2025, Shannon was driving himself and others in a Nissan Qashqai along Hyde Avenue, on the south side of Limerick city.

Shannon and his passengers came across a number of other men, and an altercation ensued.

CCTV footage was played in court, showing Shannon and his passengers encountering the other males at a pedestrian crossing and an altercation ensuing between them.

The footage also showed one of the other men using an iron bar and smashing the widescreen of Shannon’s car.

Shortly afterwards Shannon left in his vehicle and returned to the scene and drove at speed at the man who had smashed his window screen, hitting him, and colliding with another car.

The injured man fled the scene on foot and Shannon drove out of the area on the wrong side of the road, it was heard.

Reviewing the evidence, the sentencing judge, Colin Daly, said Shannon “drives directly” at the other man “striking him” and “crashes into another car”.

Shannon exited his car with an implement before fleeing the scene, driving out of Hyde Avenue, on the wrong side of the road.

Sergeant Eoin Dillon, Roxboro Road Garda Station, alleged the altercation was part of a wider “feud between two rival families in the Hyde Road area”.

Sgt Dillon told the court the feud been ongoing for the past three years, and had led to numerous violent incidents including shootings, persons being shot and explosives been thrown at houses, he said.

Answering questions from Shannon’s barrister, Donal Cronin BL, the garda sergeant agreed that Shannon had never been arrested or charged in connection with any of the other violent feuding incidents.

Mr Cronin told the court that Shannon maintained he had no involvement in any feud.

In his summing up, Judge Daly disagreed and told the court: “The accused claims it was not part of a feud but I do not accept this.”

“The accused returned to the scene and this increases his culpability and is central to his violent behaviour,” said the judge.

Jude Daly reduced Shannon’s sentence from three years to two years, three months, giving him credit for his guilty plea, for apologising and accepting his behaviour was wrong, that he had since “made peace” with the other parties, and that he had no previous convictions for violence.

Shannon is a father of five, who has been employed for the past two years.

He had over twenty previous convictions including for possessing drugs for sale or supply, burglary, handling stolen property, and road traffic offences, the court heard.