Declan Brennan
A convicted sex offender had a teenage boy in the front seat of his car when stopped by gardaí four days after receiving a suspended prison sentence for child abuse.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that on July 21st 2020, Kevin Brazil (51) led gardaí on a high speed car chase through a residential area before stopping the car.
When asked about the then 16-year-old boy in the car with him Brazil told gardaí “I knew the way this would look”.
He told gardaí that four days previously he had received a suspended sentence for sexual assault. Brazil had pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault of a 12-year-boy in the city on a number of occasions between April and June 2002.
DPP file
At that hearing last July the court heard that in 2002 Brazil admitted to garda investigators that he had sexually abused the boy, but no file was sent forward to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). This investigation was revived in 2016 when the victim again went to gardaí.
Brazil of Wainsfort Manor Grove, Terenure, Dublin was sentenced in 2004 for 16 counts of sexual assault of another boy between March 2000 and July 2002. He received a sentence of three years imprisonment with the final year suspended.
Last July Judge Elma Sheahan said that if the original complaint in 2002 been properly prosecuted, Brazil would not be facing these charges at that point in time.
She said that if not for “the unconscionable delay of the state” a custodial sentence would be inevitable and suspended a three-year prison term on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
Dangerous driving convictions
On Thursday Detective Garda Michael McGrath told Judge Sheahan that Brazil has since been convicted of three counts of dangerous driving in Dublin district court.
He told the court that on the night of July 21st last he was on mobile patrol at Fortunestown lane in Tallaght when he observed a car turning abruptly into a housing estate. Gardaí followed the car, which then picked up speed.
The car travelled into a cul-de-sac and the driver then started making a three point turn. Gardai activated the blue lights and siren of the patrol car, but the car failed to stop and mounted a pavement to get past the patrol car, narrowly avoiding a collision with the garda car.
The defendant's car then drove at speed through a housing estate, driving down the wrong side of a road and pulling out of a junction without stopping.
Dt Gda McGrath said the car then came to a halt and when gardaí approached the driver he identified himself. Brazil was shaking and told them “I'm sorry garda, I didn't know it was you”.
Sentence revoked
“I knew the way it would look to gardaí,” he said and told gardaí about the conviction for child sexual assault. The court heard that the teenage boy was referred to the Garda protective services unit and interviewed by child specialist interviewers.
Antonia Boyle BL told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions is applying to the court to have the suspended portion of the July sentence revoked.
Brazil is currently serving a prison term of two and a half years imposed in the Central Criminal Court for sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy in 2002. This sentence was imposed last January.
Judge Sheahan said that she wanted to consider the totality of matters before the court and adjourned the case to March 25th next year.
