Three men who appeared before Portlaoise Circuit Court today, in relation to farm thefts in July of last year, have reportedly received prison sentences.

Judge Keenan Johnson sentenced Thomas McInerney to five years and three months – with 12 months suspended. William McInerney and Gerard McInerney were each sentenced to four years and six months – with 12 months suspended. The sentences were backdated to the date on which the men were first arrested – July of last year.

All three have been in custody since then.

The three men had previously appeared before Portlaoise Circuit Court in relation to this case earlier this month – on June 13. At that sitting, all admitted to possessing stolen property at Cloncourse, Mountrath, Co. Laois on July 12, 2016.

Also Read: Bungled farm theft results in violent injuries

The three had been arrested in a major Garda operation last year, following an incident that injured several Gardai.

The operation, at the time, was a combined effort between local detectives and members from the Garda Armed Support Unit, the Air Support Unit and the National Surveillance Unit divisions.

Several Gardai were injured during the arrest, when the defendants rammed and wrote off two Garda cars with a crew-cab jeep – fitted with a bull bar.

Garda Chief Superintendent John Scanlan told the previous sitting of the court how a stolen jeep and trailer, which was hidden in a bog at Cloncourse, was under surveillance by Gardai on the night of Monday, July 11, 2016. The jeep was approached by two vehicles with lights off and at approximately 12:40am the three defendants hooked up the trailer to the jeep and attempted to leave.

At this point, the Gardai turned on sirens and lights and blocked off exits. The jeep accelerated and attempted to ram through an unmarked Garda car and an Armed Support Unit vehicle, injuring a number of Gardai in the process.

The court was told that each of the accused had balaclavas and gloves, while items stolen from five farms in counties Laois and Tipperary were recovered in addition to the jeep, which had been stolen from a farm in Laois the previous June.

Injuries sustained by the Gardai included: a broken ankle; back, neck, shoulder and knee injuries; and trauma and stress suffered from the episode. Gardai gave victim impact reports, detailing how they had been adversely affected.

One Garda described the incident as the most terrifying occurrence he ever had, noting “genuine fear” that someone would be killed. “I still have trouble sleeping on occasion and it has affected home life,” he noted.

This event has been life-changing for me both inside and outside of this job.