Drugged drive in 40 min garda chase

To add to the man's woes, he received a Fixed Payment Notice for being engaged in a non-essential journey at the time gardaí apprehended him.

A drugged-up driver who led gardaí on a near 40 minute cross-county car chase last week will appear before the courts later this month.

The driver, a male aged in his 20s, had failed to stop at a checkpoint Operation Fanacht checkpoint at Lisgrey, near Virginia at around 11am on Thursday morning, March 4.

From there he led gardaí on an erratic chase that took him cross-county through Virginia and Bailieborough before he was event stopped by Gardaí close to Moynalty, Co Meath.

The driver subsequently failed the road side test for cannabis and was arrested.

He was charged with dangerous driving and with driving with no insurance.

Arresting officers, attached to Bailieborough Garda Station, further found the young man as having been disqualified from driving and also in possession of a quantity of drugs.

To add to the man's woes, he received a Fixed Payment Notice for being engaged in a non-essential journey at the time gardaí apprehended him.

A file is being prepared in relation to both the drug driving and the drugs.

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana confirmed: “Gardaí are investigating an incident of dangerous driving that took place in the Virginia area of Meath on Thursday, the 4th of March 2021.”

They added: “The incident began when a car failed to stop for Gardaí. The driver of this car, a man aged in his 20s, was later arrested for dangerous driving in the Moynalty area of Kells, Co Meath.”

The man arrested has been charged dangerous driving and no insurance.

He is now due to appear before Virginia District Court on the March 23.

“No injuries have been reported,” the garda spokesperson noted.