Derry couple imprisoned after joyriding incident in stolen car in Donegal

A couple from Derry were convicted and imprisoned for eight months and six months respectively, following a joyriding incident in which a stolen car was stopped near Donegal Town.

The case was heard at Donegal District Court at Ballyshannon Courthouse by Judge Éiteáin Cunningham, after the stolen vehicle was stopped at Spierstown, Donegal Town, on January 27, 2026.  

Mary Stokes, 27, of 177 Clon Elagh, Derry, pleaded guilty and was imprisoned for eight months and disqualified from driving for two years, after being convicted of three offences, including unlawfully using a vehicle without the consent of the owner or without lawful authority, a dangerous driving offence, and driving without insurance.

A charge for driving without holding a driving licence was taken into consideration.

Shane Stokes, 29, of 185 Clon Dara, Derry, pleaded guilty and was imprisoned for six months for an unlawful carriage offence, with the sentence backdated from January 28, 2026, when he went into custody. 

The court heard that the pair had numerous convictions from an outside jurisdiction, including a conviction for Ms Stokes of causing death by dangerous driving, for which she was imprisoned for 44 months.

Mr Stokes, the court heard, had 115 previous convictions from an outside jurisdiction, including offences relating to theft. 

The court heard that the vehicle in question had been stolen in Derry. Gardaí were aware of a vehicle in the Ballybofey area and subsequently stopped it in Spierstown. Ms Mary Stokes was the driver of the vehicle and was subsequently arrested. Shane Stokes was the passenger.

After hearing the details of Ms Stokes and Stokes’ previous convictions from another jurisdiction, Judge Cunningham told the defendants’ solicitor, John Anderson: “It appears to the court that your clients have an utter disregard for their own safety, but more to other road users. It is one of the worst cases I have heard.”

Shane Stokes interrupted Judge Cunningham when he said: “No previous convictions in this country.”

Judge Cunningham replied: “Thank you for that lesson, Mr Stokes. I am appreciative of that position. That can not influence my decision. I have to note that you have no matters in this jurisdiction, but I am entitled to have an opinion.”

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Anderson described the incident as “a moment of madness” and asked the judge to be as “lenient” as she could possibly be. 

He said: “They are young people. Shane Stokes is 29 years of age. He has nothing in Ireland. She is a young woman.

“Obviously, the convictions are significant, relevant and serious. It was a very foolish thing to take the car on the road the way they did. The situation is that there are no previous convictions in this jurisdiction.”

With sentencing, regarding Ms Stokes, Judge Cunningham said she noted that she had not previous convictions in this jurisdiction and that she pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. 

Judge Cunningham said: “She was driving the vehicle at the time, which puts her in an elevated view in regard to culpability.”

The sentences that Judge Cunningham handed to Ms Stokes are to run concurrently. 

Ms Stokes was convicted and sentenced to eight months' imprisonment for unlawfully using a vehicle without the consent of the owner or without lawful authority, contrary to Section 112 of the Traffic Act 1961 (as amended by Section 65 of the Road Traffic Act 1968 and as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act 2006).

She was convicted and sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and two years’ disqualification from driving in a manner that was dangerous to the public or was likely to be dangerous to the public, contrary to Section 53(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as substituted by Section 4 of the Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011.

Finally, Ms Stokes was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving for two years, for driving without insurance, contrary to Section 56(1) & (3) Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act 2006.

A charge of driving without holding a driving licence for the time being, having effect and licencing to drive such a vehicle, was taken into consideration.

Regarding Shane Stokes, Judge Cunningham said: “The maximum penalty is a custodial sentence of 12 months. I have to take into account the plea which was tendered at the earliest opportunity.”

Shane Stokes was convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, backdated from when he initially went into custody for being a person that knew that a vehicle was taken possession of without the consent of the owner or other lawful authority, did allow yourself to be carried in such vehicle without the consent of the owner of the said vehicle, or other lawful authority, contrary to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (as amended by Section 65 of the Road Traffic Act 1968, and as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act 2006).