Teenage driver in Garda chase disqualified for six years

A Dublin youth, who led gardaí on a high-speed pursuit in rush-hour traffic, has been disqualified from driving for six years.

Judge John O’Connor had told the 17-year-old teenager it was a miracle he had not killed or injured himself and others as a result of his drive where he reached speeds in excess of 100 km/h on busy north inner city Dublin streets.

At the sentence hearing, a positive pre-sentence probation report on the youth was furnished to the Dublin Children’s Court, Judge O’Connor noted. He imposed the driving ban but spared the teenager a term in a detention centre by placing him on supervised probation for 12 months.

The court heard the youth, who cannot be named because he is a minor, led gardaí on a car chase on the evening of January 30th last year.

The five-minute pursuit led to him being prosecuted on 10 counts of dangerous driving as well as other charges for not having a licence or insurance.

Garda Joseph Gavin said the teenager was spotted driving at a flat complex and failed to stop when signalled. Gardaí knew he did not have a driving licence and followed him to Poplar Row where the youth broke a red light.

At one point the teenager drove against the flow of traffic, “in contravention of a one-way system”. “Two pedestrians had to take avoidance action,” said Garda Gavin, adding that the youth “nearly clipped” a house on Stoney Road.

Garda Gavin had handed into court a map of the youth’s route and he estimated that at East Wall Road, the teenager was doing 100km/h. At one stage the teenager “appeared to be going straight before suddenly making a sharp left-hand turn with no consideration for other road users on the inside”.

At the North Strand Road the youth was “undertaking and overtaking vehicles at high speed” and drove in excess of 100km/h on Northbrook Avenue . After about five minutes, the youth pulled in and was arrested.

He had 11 previous criminal convictions imposed in 2011 and early 2013 for public order, motoring and assault charges.

Defence solicitor Michelle Finan said the youth who was accompanied to court by his mother, had stayed out of trouble for a significant period; he had panicked when he saw gardaí and “it got out of control”.

He had significant difficulties with anger management, had previously spent time in a detention centre, and the HSE had been involved with his family, the court heard. He was not in education or training but had applied to get onto a course.