Led gardaí on a 15-minute chase

A CARRICKABOY man who led gardaí on a 15-minute car chase while under the influence of alcohol has been disqualified from driving, fined a €1,000 and handed three five-month suspended prison sentences.

Gardaí on patrol on the Cavan Road, Ballyjamesduff, at 2.05am on December 21 last, gave chase to David Smith (29) from Derrylurgan, Ballyjamesduff through Knockanoark, Beaghy, Aghadreenagh, Corglass, Kilnacor, Killynanum, Carricktobber, Rockfield and Rassan before his Toyota eventually came to a stop.

When Smith of Denbawn, Carrickaboy, provided a urine sample, the results showed he had 162 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of urine – the legal limit is 62mg.

Smith appeared at a recent sitting of Cavan District Court charged with six driving offences including speeding, driving under the influence and several counts of dangerous driving.

Sergeant Damien Galligan said Smith “drove in an aggressive manner through various townlands” and described how, at one point, gardaí in chase noted the defendant was driving at 150km/h on a stretch of road marked with a continuous white line and governed by a 50km/h limit.

“How long did it last?” Judge Raymond Finnegan asked the sergeant referring to the garda pursuit.

“Fifteen minutes” came the reply.

“So, a lot of lives put at risk, then,” the judge pointed out.

Judge Finnegan also asked if David Smith had any previous convictions for similar offences and was told he was convicted of dangerous driving in 2016.

Turning to Smith’s solicitor, Damien Rudden, Judge Finnegan said: “It’ll take a lot of convincing for me not to impose an 18-month custodial sentence so, go ahead, say something good.”

“He pleaded at the earliest and didn’t waste any court time,” Mr Rudden began.

“When gardaí caught up with him he admitted his wrongdoing. On the night in question he should’ve stopped; he knows that,” the solicitor continued.

Explaining that his client is a single man who just started work two weeks previous after a period of unemployment, Mr Rudden added “he needs his licence”.

“He only has one previous and comes from a good family,” the solicitor proffered before ending with: “He is ashamed of his behaviour.”

For the offence of dangerous driving at Rassan, Smith was disqualified from driving for five years and given a five-month prison sentence “reluctantly” suspended for two years by Judge Finnegan on the condition that he does not re-offend during that period.

He also had to enter his own bail cash bond of €100 to the court.

The judge also imposed a five-month suspended prison sentence for the dangerous driving offence at Carricktobber and a third five-month suspended prison sentence for dangerous driving at Derrylurgan.

For driving without insurance, Smith was fined €500; while for the drink driving offence, he was fined €500 and banned from driving for two years.

“The rest is taken into consideration,” Judge Finnegan said before adding: “That’s a 15-month suspended sentence hanging over you for the next five years. You’re very lucky not to be going to prison.”