Man who killed elderly woman in e-scooter hit-and-run avoids further prison time

Irish Times

20 hours ago

A repeat offender jailed for killing a grandmother in an e-scooter hit-and-run in Dublin in 2023 was spared extra jail time for theft and burglary crimes carried out two years before the fatal incident.
Mary Bernie (87), known as Peg, died from her injuries three days after Aaron Gumble knocked her down with a stolen e-scooter at Eccles Street, Dublin 7.
He had been on bail for theft offences at the time, and
was jailed for six-and-a-half years
last year and disqualified from driving for 10 years.
In that case, he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death on June 20th, 2023, leaving the scene and theft of an e-scooter from the underground car park of the Mater Public Hospital.
In his latest case to be finalised, Gumble (29) of Drumalee Park, North Circular Road, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to incidents in central Dublin on July 21st and September 6th, 2021.
Dublin District Court heard that during the first incident at an Ellis Quay apartment block at 11.39pm, Gumble opened a door with a kick.
He forcibly opened a second door leading into a courtyard where CCTV filmed him trying to enter the underground car park, but he failed to get in and left the scene.
The court heard on the second date at 11.45pm that a resident returned to his city centre apartment and found his €750 bicycle, which had two locks attached, was missing. One lock was still attached to a rack, and the other was broken on the ground. The bicycle was taken and never recovered.
Judge Treasa Kelly noted his 144 prior convictions included vehicle theft, burglaries, attempted theft, theft, and trespass, but he had received a lengthy sentence last year for the dangerous driving causing death incident.
Pleading for leniency, defence solicitor Aoife McTaggart acknowledged her client's 'appalling record'; however, she stressed the charges before the court went back a few years, when a younger Gumble was less wise.
She asked the judge to consider that her client pleaded guilty without waiting for disclosure of evidence and to give him credit.
Since going into custody, he has made great efforts in Mountjoy Prison, where he ended up in the progression unit and has been an 'enhanced prisoner', taking course after course. The solicitor added that he was also drug-free.
Passing sentence, Judge Kelly noted the mitigating points raised, that he had 'turned a corner,' and that he had already been serving a jail term for several years. She imposed a six-month concurrent sentence from Wednesday.
Gumble stood silently throughout the hearing and spoke only to say, 'Thanks, judge' at the end of the proceedings.