Driver led gardai on high speed chase

A 35 year-old driver led Gardai on a high speed chase through rural Co Meath countryside, Trim District Court has been told.

Mark Riordan, Rockfield Manor, Hoeys Lane, Dundalk was charged with several counts of dangerous driving on 1st January last year.

Court presenter Sergeant Tom Mahon told the court that Gardai were on patrol in Drumconrath area when they spotted a silver Toyota car. It failed to stop and drove at high speed through Drumconrath. The car was travelling at 150kph in an 80 zone. It went through Kilmainhamwood village and eventually stopped in Kingscourt.

Judge Brendan O’Reilly said that he knew those roads well and on some of them there was hardly room for a pony and trap never mind a car travelling at 150 kilometres per hour.

Defending barrister James O’Brien said that his client had just heard of an emergency involving a friend of his. The judge said that if there was such an emergency why hadn’t accused stop for Gardai and ask them for assistance.

Defendant said in evidence that at the time of the offences he had broken off with his partner and had trouble with alcohol. He had referred himself for treatment in a residential centre. “I was on the wrong road at the time," he said.

The judge convicted defendant of two counts of dangerous driving, imposed fines to a total of €3,000, disqualified him from driving for four years and sentenced him to three months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

The judge told him that but for the excellent representation of Mr O’Brien he would have made the prison sentence longer and it would not have been suspended.