A young man stole a bus from a bus company in County Donegal (Ireland) and drove it to Dublin after learning that the bus he wanted to board was full. The 24-year-old Dublin resident, who lives at Markievich House, was charged with unlawfully taking a mechanically propelled vehicle and using it without the owner's consent or legal permission. The young man appeared before Judge John Elmer to be sentenced after the incident in which he drove the bus, worth 390,000 euros, for 237 kilometers before leaving it on a street in north Dublin. The court was told the bus was undamaged and the ignition key was still present. CCTV footage showed Dan at the station at 10:35 p.m., where he waited until 11:06 p.m. for the bus driver to leave. At 11:52 p.m., Dan was seen inspecting several parked buses before finally entering the one he intended to steal. He sat in the driver's seat for about 45 minutes before turning on the lights and departing with the bus at exactly 12:40 a.m. When questioned at Pearse Street police station, Dan told police he had planned to board another bus, but was told it was full, so he decided to drive an empty one himself. The accused's lawyer, Daniel Comerford, stated that his client made an 'extremely foolish' and impulsive decision. He added that Dan grew up in a family with drug problems and lived with his grandparents. The lawyer described the incident as 'somewhat strange and unusual behavior', saying that Dan had long been passionate about heavy transport vehicles. In turn, the judge, according to the 'Donegal Daily' website, said he would suspend the 18-month prison sentence in full, provided that Dan is subject to 18 months of supervision services upon his release from prison.
