Motorist evading gardaí travelled at 160kph
Picture for illustration purposes only
A MOTORIST who was spotted by gardaí holding a mobile phone while driving travelled at more than 160kph when he took off to evade them, Carlow District Court heard last week.
Cathal Muldoon (22) pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving at Gorteengrove, Carlow after he was pursued by Garda John Keane and Garda Francis Ryan on 3 August.
Garda Keane told the court that the gardaí were on patrol in Carlow when they saw a motorist, Mr Muldoon, holding a mobile phone.
He said that they turned the squad car around and switched on the blue lights, but Mr Muldoon accelerated away from them. As the gardaí pursued the defendant, they saw him undertaking cars by travelling on the hard shoulder as well overtaking other vehicles in a dangerous manner.
Garda Keane said that at one stage they were travelling at 160kph in a 100kph zone and that they still didn’t keep up with Mr Muldoon.
He continued that the defendant then turned onto the M9 at Prumplestown and that he was going so fast that he had a 400- to 500-metre heard start on the gardaí, who had to abandon the pursuit.
Judge John O’Leary heard that Garda Keane and Garda Ryan traced the registration to Mr Muldoon and called to his house in Whitestown Lower, Stratford-on-Slaney, Co Wicklow and spoke to his sister.
Garda Keane said that Mr Muldoon later got in contact with them and that he had paid fines for holding a mobile phone and for failing to stop.
He added that the defendant also wrote a letter of apology to the gardaí.
Defending barrister Eamonn O’Moore BL said that Mr Muldoon was working as apprentice machinery driver in a local quarry and that he knew “there was no excuse” for his behaviour that day.
Handing in several letters of reference, including from the local GAA club, Mr O’Moore said that Mr Muldoon was a “proactive member of his community” and that he’d got a fright when he saw the gardaí and reacted to it.
Judge O’Leary noted that while Mr Muldoon had a good record, he had “jumped into the deep end”.
He added that it was “gross dangerous driving to go at those speeds” and that someone could have died as a result.
He concluded that because the defendant had good references and had no previous convictions, he would not impose a custodial sentence.
He then put him off the road for three years and fined him €3,500.
“And he’s lucky with that. I hope he’d learnt his lesson, it might save a life,” said Judge O’Leary.
