Man steals bus and drives it 150 miles after missing his ride home

A man stole a bus and drove it to Dublin, Ireland, all because the bus he was supposed to be on was actually full. 

Waiting for a bus or a train can be pretty annoying, especially when delays pile up. You might miss a connection, be late for a planned meeting, or even have to scrap the journey altogether. It sometimes even feels worse when the bus or train turns up and it’s fuller than expected too. 

In the United Kingdom, you can get some compensation for disrupted journeys, but commuters don’t usually take things into their own hands. Though, Derek Dunne from Dublin, Ireland, did so. 

Dunne, 24 years old, was charged with unlawfully taking possession of and use of a mechanically propelled vehicle without the consent of the owner, or without lawful authority, in Letterkenny, Ireland, in July 2023. He drove the bus to Dublin before abandoning it. 

Man drove stolen bus to Dublin just so he could get home

According to The Journal and evidence from Bus Éireann Transport Company, the owner of the bus, Dunne entered their bus depot and surveyed a number of vehicles before choosing one to make the 150-mile journey with. 

Dunne told Irish police that he had planned to take a later bus, but was told that the journey was at capacity. So, he decided to take one for himself.

The bus, which is worth around €390,000, was left on Sheriff Street in Dublin, with the key still in the ignition. There was no damage to the vehicle otherwise. 

Dunne’s legal team told a court that he “regretted” his decision and made it “rooted in panic” rather than with “disregard” for others. 

The 24-year-old pleaded guilty, but had an 18-month sentence suspended on the provision that he be supervised by probation services. 

Judge John Aylmer called it a “very unusual offence” that came from “unusual and rather weird behaviour.”