A 25-YEAR-OLD MAN who “smashed” a nephew of convicted drug dealer John Gilligan with his van, dragging him for up to 30 feet before leaving him on the roadside with a fractured skull and pelvis, has been jailed for five years.

Sentencing Ryan Craig at the Central Criminal Court today, Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that Dillon Gilligan was reluctant to engage in the garda investigation, which meant that any restorative justice aspect of the sentence would not be “a practical option”.

Justice McDermott described the incident as a “deliberate purposeful act of dangerous driving”, which was motivated by rage and hatred on the part of the defendant.

The judge added: “He drove at the victim, having driven by him and turned back, drove onto the footpath and continued to drive with the victim underneath the van”.

Justice McDermott pointed out that Craig had fled the scene without the slightest effort to assist victim Dillon Gilligan, calling it an “appalling episode”.

The judge said the offending was “very serious” as it had occurred on a public roadway in a public area on a Sunday afternoon with residential estates nearby. He also disqualified Craig from driving for 15 years.

The court was told during last month’s sentence hearing that there had been long-standing animosity between Craig and Mr Gilligan, arising from an ongoing “feud” in the Ronanstown area of Dublin.

Following the incident, Craig was overheard on the phone saying: “I’m after smashing Gilligan… Seen him on the road in bits. I don’t give a f**k bro.” He was later arrested by gardaí on a UK-bound ferry at Dublin Port.

The judge said today it was accepted by gardai that this was an “opportunistic encounter” rather than “a planned event”.

Craig, of Shancastle Drive, Clondalkin, had originally been charged with the attempted murder of Mr Gilligan but pleaded guilty last July to the lesser offences of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm and endangerment.

Before passing sentence today, Justice McDermott said it was clear Craig bore ill-will towards Mr Gilligan, when he drove up behind the victim onto a pedestrian footpath and knocked him down in a reckless fashion. He said the men knew each other since childhood but there was animosity between them.

One witness described the van continuing for 20 to 30 feet with Mr Gilligan trapped underneath before it “veered to the right.” The vehicle then “did a full 360,” the court heard, before the victim eventually was left on the ground.

The judge said Craig left the scene after the collision, despite the victim having been thrown under the bonnet of the van. Mr Gilligan was found lying on the footpath seriously injured.

Justice McDermott said today that a probation report set Craig’s risk of reoffending in the next 12 months as moderate. The probation service found there were some risk factors associated with Craig’s criminal peers and his impulsivity.

The judge said Craig told the probation service he had acted impulsively and out of anger when he encountered the victim, which was accepted.

It was clear, said the judge, that Craig’s driving had caused a serious risk to others in the vicinity and must have caused a shock to those who came across it. He said pedestrians were entitled to go about their business without the worry of potential menace on the streets.

Justice McDermott called the incident a deliberate purposeful act of dangerous driving, which had created substantial risk of death or serious injury.

The judge set the headline sentences for the offence of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm at eight years and for endangerment at five years and six months.

In mitigation, Justice McDermott noted the defendant’s early guilty plea, as well as his remorse and regret about the damage done. “He has written a letter to that effect, that it wasn’t a planned event but arose out of an unexpected encounter with the victim.” added the judge.

Justice McDermott said Craig was willing to take part in restorative justice but the practical circumstances were that Mr Gilligan was reluctant to engage at all in the investigation. “That seems to indicate any potential dialogue is not a practical option”.

The judge said none of Craig’s four previous convictions – one for possession of drugs and three for public order matters – were in any way as serious as this incident.

Taking the “substantial mitigation” into account, Craig was sentenced to six years in prison with the last 12 months suspended for a period of two years for the offence of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm.

The defendant was sentenced to four years on the endangerment count. Both sentences are to run concurrently and were backdated to October 2024.

The judge said this was a dangerous driving case and so disqualification followed.

He said it was clear Craig was unfit to drive and it was accepted by the probation service that there were anger and impulsivity factors in his dangerous driving, including through fleeing the scene without any regard for the victim or others.

Justice McDermott disqualified Craig from driving for 15 years.

Sentence hearing

At Craig’s sentence hearing last month, Detective Garda Shane Harten gave evidence to Michael Hourigan, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, that he had been on patrol with colleagues at around 1.45pm on 20 October, 2024, when they received a report that a van had knocked down a man on Cloverhill Road in Clondalkin.

When Harten arrived at the scene, he saw a man lying on the footpath being attended to by emergency services. He confirmed to counsel that he recognised the injured man as 25-year-old Dillon Gilligan.

Craig was subsequently arrested on a ferry at Dublin Port.

Mr Gilligan was treated at the scene before being brought to Tallaght University Hospital where he was treated for a number of injuries including a fractured skull, arm, chest, pelvis and ankle. He also suffered internal bleeding, and his condition was described as critical, the garda confirmed.

Mr Gilligan later discharged himself from hospital and indicated to gardaí that he did not wish to provide an impact statement.

The court heard Mr Gilligan had attended a rehabilitation facility following the incident but left prior to the completion of his treatment and his current medical status is unknown.

CCTV showed Craig leaving the vehicle at an address at Palmerstown Woods shortly after the incident.

The CCTV also contained audio which recorded Craig on the phone asking to be brought elsewhere and stating: “I’m after smashing Gilligan. Me van’s broke up around the corner. Seen him on the road in bits. I don’t give a fuck bro”.

Craig was subsequently arrested on a ferry at Dublin Port.

Following his arrest, Craig was interviewed on five occasions. Det Gda Harten said the defendant was questioned in relation to the background to the incident.

He confirmed to counsel that Mr Gilligan and the defendant appear to be “aligned to opposing sides in an ongoing feud in the Ronanstown area” involving numerous serious incidents within the locality.

Last May, Gilligan (24) was convicted following trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of carrying a firearm with intent to commit assault causing harm to Scott Purdue on December 17, 2019 at Shancastle Park, Clondalkin.

Judge Ronan Munro sentenced Gilligan to six and a half years, with the final 18 months suspended.

Gilligan, of Killinarden Heights, Tallaght, Dublin 24, maintained he was not involved in the incident and denied any wrongdoing. The court heard on that occasion that he was continuing to receive rehabilitative treatment.

Gardaí were also aware of an incident in January 2024 when Craig’s house was shot at and was the subject of an arson attack, Harten said.

He agreed with Hourigan that the offence before the court was not “pre-planned” and appeared to have been “opportunistic”, when Craig happened to pass Mr Gilligan. He confirmed it arose “as part of the feud, but appears to have been spontaneous”.

In cross-examination, the detective garda confirmed to Dominic McGinn SC, for Craig, that the defendant said he lost control of the van and had expressed remorse for the injuries caused.

McGinn said Craig has a solid work history in the construction industry, comes from a large supportive family and has been in a long-term relationship for a number of years. He handed in a number of testimonials on his client’s behalf.

He said Craig has been in custody for just over a year and has used his time constructively by engaging in education during that time. McGinn said Craig’s plea was of value and indicates his remorse for what happened.

At the Central Criminal Court in July, Craig pleaded guilty to a charge that on October 20, 2024 at Cloverhill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, he drove a vehicle in a manner – including speed – which having regard to all the circumstances of the case – including the condition of the vehicle; the nature, condition and use of the vehicle; the nature, condition and use of such a place in which it was driven; the amount of traffic which then actually was or might reasonably be expected then to be therein – was dangerous to the public, thereby causing serious bodily harm to Dillon Gilligan.

He also admitted intentionally engaging in conduct which created a substantial risk of death or serious injury to Mr Gilligan on the same date and location.