Teen driver gets eight years over garda deaths

An 18-year-old has been jailed for eight years for causing the death of two gardaí when the stolen sports car he was driving rammed into their patrol car on the Stillorgan dual carriageway. He has also been barred from driving for 30 years.

Raymond Dowdall (18), from Galtymore Road, Drimnagh, had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to reckless endangerment and dangerous driving causing the deaths of Garda Michael Padden (27) and Garda Anthony Tighe (54) on April 14th, 2002. Dowdall had 42 previous convictions, many for driving offences.

Judge Desmond Hogan told a crowded court number 8 today the driving by the accused on the night of the crash "was a criminal act of bravado with terrible consequences".

He said no matter was sentence he imposed the consequences for the families of the deceased gardai will live on. Garda Anthony Tighe was a married father of four, one of whom is a Garda. Relatives of both men were in court today.

The court heard how on the night of the crash the accused stole a black Mazda MX5 from a house in Dalkey with another teenager - Gerard Eglinton. Dowdall was banned from driving at the time of the crash and a warrant was outstanding for his arrest.

Detective Inspector Martin Cummins, the principle investigating officer, read witness statements to the court reporting the stolen car traveling at over 100mph, driving the wrong way through roundabouts, driving on the wrong side of the road and performing dangerous overtaking manoeuvers.

The car traveled from Dalkey to Loughlinstown, into Donnybrook where it turned onto the Stillorgan dual carriageway. The car then turned around and was returning towards the city centre at the time of the crash.

Det Inspt Cummins said Garda Padden and Garda Tighe had come on duty at Donnybrook Garda Station at 6 a.m. on that morning and were responding to a call on a Garda radio to deal with the speeding car. Up to seven Garda vehicles were involved in an operation to pursue the stolen car and direct other traffic out of its path.

Garda Padden and Tighe stopped at "The Rise" on the Stillogan dual carriageway. The court heard that the gardai were most likely trying to direct another car out of the way.

The white garda Mondeo was hit at an estimated 99 mph by the Mazda, Det Inspt Cummins said. This threw the garda car up into the air before it somersaulted backwards, landing on a set of traffic lights.

"There was no skidding before the impact and no sign of brakes [being applied]" said Det Inspt Cummins. Garda Padden and Tighe died instantly in the crash.

Mr Peter Finaly SC, for the accused, said there was very little one could say on behalf of Raymond. He read a letter to the court in which Dowdall stated that he "is indeed sorry for what he has done, although he doesn't expect it to matter much but he wants it to be known by the two families".

The court also heard that on in the night in question Dowdall had taken ecstasy and hash.

Sentencing, Judge Hogan said he had no doubt but that Dowdall "knew what he was doing and way he was doing it and knew he was being followed" by gardai.

As a result of his actions one young Garda had been cut-down in the prime of his life and another married man killed, the judge said.

He sentenced Dowdall to six years for reckless endangerment, eight years for the charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Garda Padden and eight years for the dangerous driving causing the death of Garda Tighe. The sentences are to run concurrently and start from the date of his remand on April 14th 2002.

Eglinton, (17) Dowdall's co-accused, was sentenced to four years in St Patrick's Institution in November for his part in the incident. He was a passenger in the stolen Mazda at the time of the crash.