Two cousins who were arrested in Monaghan after stealing an airport minibus have pleaded guilty to all charges.
John and Stephen McDonagh also face charges of the false imprisonment of three bus passengers and stealing a car near Castleblayney.
At their first District Court appearance earlier this year, the Court heard how the events led to a high-speed cross border chase and ended after the second stolen car rammed a Garda vehicle.
26 year old Stephen McDonagh of The Steeples, Navan, County Meath pleaded guilty to six sample charges.
One of unlawfully taking a Carlton Hotel courtesy minibus from outside Terminal 2 of Dublin Airport, three of falsely imprisoning passengers on the bus, one of reckless endangerment at Junction 11 on the M1, and one of taking a vehicle without authority at an address in Broomfield.
27 year old John McDonagh, also of The Steeples in Navan pleaded guilty to five sample charges.
Three were for the false imprisonment of the bus passengers, and two of being a passenger in a known stolen vehicle.
All offences took place on January 8th of this year.
The arraignments were heard separately at Tuesday’s sitting of Monaghan Circuit Court, after the court heard there isn’t a good relationship between the two.
Judge John Aylmer was told of the urgency that both men would like to have the matter dealt with and so agreed to hold a sentence hearing on Friday week.
