‘Buck mad’ driver taunted garda car before ramming it

A driver who “went buck mad” and taunted a Garda car to follow him into the grounds of a sporting venue before ramming the patrol car with his own vehicle, was left with a four-year driving ban and fines amounting to €1,350 when the incident came before Monaghan District Court.

During the hearing, Judge Raymond Finnegan had placed the defendant, who had never been in trouble before, in a cell for over an hour in order to impress on him what the reality of prison might be like.

Conor McPhillips (32) of Kincorragh, Smithboro, Co Monaghan, pleaded guilty to causing €400 worth of damage to a Garda patrol car at Tullynanure, Tyholland, Co Monaghan, on July 21, 2024, and to dangerous driving on the same occasion.

He admitted also that he had no driving licence nor insurance cover at the time, and that he subsequently refused to give a specimen of blood or urine at Monaghan Garda Station.

In light of those pleas, further charges were struck out. These related to failing to produce documentation, driving under the influence of an intoxicant at Tullynanure, and two counts of dangerous driving on the N2 at Gortmoney and Drumgeeny during the same incident.

Sergeant Lisa McEntee said that, at about 3.50am on the date in question, Garda Gerard Kennedy and Garda Darren McGilloway were on patrol at Circle K on the Emyvale Road out of Monaghan when they noticed a blue VW Passat being driven erratically.

The vehicle appeared to be trying to draw the attention of the patrol car. It had stopped in the middle of the road and the driver was recording the gardaí on his mobile phone. It then continued out the N2 towards Emyvale, and the gardaí signalled for it to stop.

The officers lost sight of the vehicle, Sergeant McEntee said, but observed it travelling behind them a short time later. It then overtook dangerously at Gortmoney, where there were traffic islands, and again at Drumgeeny, before circling around the Coolshannagh roundabout numerous times.

After that it went towards Tyholland and entered the grounds of Tyholland Community Sports Complex. When the patrol vehicle followed it into the carpark, the Passat turned around.

It drove towards the patrol car, which was stopped, and struck it, causing damage to the front bumper.

With its escape route blocked, it drove around interior gates before entering the football pitch section of the facility and driving around its perimeter.

The car then went into a field, where the gardaí subsequently arrested Mr McPhillips, the court was told.

Sergeant McEntee also confirmed that the defendant had no previous convictions.

This prompted Judge Finnegan to remark, “He’s started well.”

Big outing for first outing

Agreeing, Martin Cosgrove described his client’s actions as “a big outing for a first outing”.

Mr Cosgrove described McPhillips as a single man who earned €400 per week as a mechanic. He had no real explanation for what happened, and simply went “buck mad” that night. He had €400 with him to compensate for the damage to the Garda vehicle, the solicitor added.

Judge Finnegan said the behaviour outlined in this case was worthy of a prison sentence and, on that note, he directed that the defendant be held in one of the court’s cells for a period while sentencing was being considered.

When the case was taken up again, about an hour later, the judge asked McPhillips if liked being in the cell and if he would like “nine or ten months in it”. The defendant was emphatic that he would not.

Judge Finnegan suggested to him that prison might be what he deserved in view of the way he had conducted himself, and Mr McPhillips’s reply was that what he did was “completely out of character”.

After remarking that his court was hearing that kind of excuse all the time, the judge imposed fines of €350, €500 and another €500 respectively for having no insurance, dangerous driving and refusing to give a specimen, allowing six months for all payments.

Driving disqualifications were also handed down for the dangerous driving (two years) and refusal (four years).

It was noted that compensation was paid for the damage to the patrol car, so this count was taken into consideration, as was the offence of having no driving licence.

A request by Mr Cosgrove to have the driving ban deferred for a short period, on the basis that his client was driving his mother to medical appointments, was turned down by Judge Finnegan. He said Mr McPhillips was actually very lucky not to be going to jail and could “pay for a taxi and take responsibility”.