Driver ‘panicked’ when he saw lights of garda car
Gardaí were on patrol when their scanner identified an uninsured car
A DRIVER who panicked when he saw the blue lights of a patrol car flashing and who took off at speed was sentenced at Carlow District Court last week for dangerous driving and for having no insurance.
Justin Stronge, 2 Fruithill Manor, Killeshin Road, Carlow pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving and of not having insurance on 4 March this year. The offences occurred on the Portlaoise Road and Castlecomer Road, Carlow.
Insp Conor Nolan told the court that gardaí were on patrol when their scanner identified an uninsured car at a service station in Church Street belonging to Mr Stronge (25), but that when they approached him, he took off at speed.
He continued that the gardaí followed him and that Mr Stronge failed to stop at a stop sign on the Castlecomer Road and overtook other cars before turning left, forcing another car to stop. The court heard that the car was later found by gardaí.
Solicitor Chris Hogan told Judge Geraldine Carthy that his client had “no excuse” for his behaviour but that he “panicked” when he saw the blue lights of the squad car because he had no insurance to drive.
Mr Hogan continued: “He should have stopped but he didn’t; he ran away from the gardaí.” Judge Carthy replied that there could have been a more tragic outcome arising out of Mr Stronge’s behaviour. She then fined him a total of €600 and disqualified him from driving for two years.
