A South Belfast man who was in a car which was stolen in a creeper burglary was today handed a 12 month sentence suspended for three years.
But Judge Gordon Kerr KC warned Gavin Gowdy that “there will be no further chances for him” if he reoffends in the next three years.
Gowdy, 41, of Claremont Street off the Lisburn Road, had previously pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods and allowing himself to be carried in a stolen car.
Belfast Crown Court heard that in the early hours of February 7, 2025, a red Suzuki SX4 belonging to a couple was stolen from the driveway of their home in Galwally Park, just off the Ormeau Road in south Belfast.
They had been the victims of a creeper burglary during which the spare key to the car and a bank card had been taken.
According to the prosecution, the car had been fitted with a dashcam and when it was examined the device had recorded co-accused Brian Adams getting into the car.
Adams was subsequently handed a 30 month prison sentence in July this year for handling stolen goods, fraud by false representation and a number of driving offences. A charge of domestic burglary was left on the books of the court in the usual terms.
The court heard Adams drove to McDonalds at Connswater in east Belfast where he used the stolen bank card to buy food.
The dashcam footage captured Adams driving on the wrong side of the Albertbridge Road. A member of the public stopped him to tell him he was on the wrong side of the road, and Adams replied: “Am I? F**k me, I’m steamin.”
Adams left the scene and headed to My Lady’s Road just off the RavenhIll Road where he reversed the Suzuki into a skip.
Just after 6am, Adams picked up Gowdy from his home and the dashcam footage recorded the pair discussing what they could buy with the bank card.
Gowdy said he didn’t want to get his fingerprints on anything. They drove to the Go Filling Station on Great Victoria Street but Adams was unable to get fuel as he didn’t know the pin number to the bank card.
A few hours later Adams drove the SX4 to Sandy Road and abandoned it in Charles Street South which was found by police on February 11.
The pair were later arrested by police four days later. DNA on the steering wheel matched that of Adams.
After an initial ‘no comment’ interview with police, Gowdy’s solicitor said at a second interview that “he denies the allegation….and he had no knowledge that the car or the card were stolen”.
The court was told Gowdy has 30 previous convictions, with ten entries for dishonesty offences including theft.
A prosecution lawyer said the defendant was on licence at the time of the offending and was subsequently recalled to prison.
In a pre-sentence report compiled by the Probation Board, the author said Gowdy was assessed as having a high likelihood of reoffending but he did not pose a danger to the public.
Passing sentence, Judge Kerr said it was not appropriate to impose a probation order as the Probation Board said Gowdy “had frankly no inclination they could see of properly dealing with them”.
Saying the custody threshold had been passed, Judge Kerr imposed a 12 month sentence suspended for three years.
“I am deliberately imposing a longer period of suspension to bring it home to him that there will be no further chances for him,” said Judge Kerr.
“If he comes back before this court and has breached the suspended sentence within that three-year period, he can expect to serve not only that sentence but in addition a further consecutive sentence for whatever brings him back before this court,” the judge added.
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