Gardai granted court orders to destroy cars

GARDAI have been granted court orders allowing them to destroy two cars which were seized a number of years ago and whose owners have not come forward to claim them.

Both cars have been in the possession of gardai since they were seized and the granting of the orders clears the way for them to be disposed of.

Making an application under the provisions of the Police Property Act, Garda Sean Buckley told Limerick District Court that one of the cars was seized in the Dooradoyle area of the city on November 29, 2017.

He said the vehicle, which is not registered in Ireland, was abandoned near the entrance to Kilteragh and had to be towed away by gardai as it was causing an obstruction to traffic entering the estate.

Inspector Padraig Sutton said efforts to locate the registered owners have proved unsuccessful and that the vehicle is no longer roadworthy and has a nominal value.

Making an application in relation to the second car – a high-powered Volvo S60 – Garda Shane Graham said it was seized in 2018 during investigations into a series of theft offences which occurred around that time.

He told Judge Marian O’Leary it was subsequently established the car was falsely registered and that it has not been possible to identify or locate the owner of the Volvo since.

No further details relating to the investigation or the the circumstances surrounding the seizure were disclosed in open court.

“We don’t know who the owner is,” said Insp Sutton who added that the Volvo is not roadworthy.

There were no objections.