Driver led gardaí on high speed chase and rammed patrol cars
A MAN who led several garda patrol cars on a high speed chase from Oylegate to Frankfort on the Gorey bypass, overtaking dangerously and ramming garda vehicles in the process, appeared before the District Court last week to answer to a string of charges.
David McTigue (29) of Ballyvake, Oylegate, pleaded guilty to three charges of dangerous driving at Ballinclare, Clogh and Frankfort on October 24 of 2016, along with charges of driving without insurance and fraudulent use of a number plate.
In outlining the facts of the case, Sgt Gary Raynor told the court that at around 12.45 p.m. on the day in question, gardaí came across a White Toyota Starlet being driven in a dangerous manner on the N11 at Oylegate.
Sirens were activated, but the defendant refused to stop and he was pursued at high speeds through Enniscorthy and Ferns.
The sergeant said that McTigue travelled at ‘excess speed’ throughout and overtook in an ‘erratic manner, forcing other road users to take evasive action.
At Ferns, another patrol car became involved and McTigue swerved to avoid it, carrying on towards Camolin. At Ballinclare, he increased his speed and continued overtaking other road users in a dangerous manner.
At Ballinaclay, McTigue mounted a grass verge in order to avoid a garda checkpoint before continuing on at speed.
Then at Frankfort, an unmarked garda car attempted to overtake the defendant and bring him to a stop. He rammed the car twice before losing control and crashing the car, at which point he was arrested.
Solicitor Helen Murphy said that her client, who has now previous convictions, wished to apologise for his actions on the day.
She said that he had been suffering with mental health difficulties and that they had come to a head on that day in what doctors believe may have been a ‘psychotic episode’. She told the court that McTigue had spent some time in hospital and in a psychiatry ward following the incident and that he has only a hazy recollection of the events.
Ms Murphy said that her client has not driven a car since and asked that if Judge John Cheatle was considering a custodial sentence, that a Probation Report might be of some assistance.
‘He is a man of previous good record,’ said Judge Cheatle. ‘But what’s happened here is so serious that inevitably I have to have a custodial sentence in mind. Because of the issues that you’ve outlined though, I’ll put the case back for a Probation Report.’
Judge Cheatle then asked the Probation Officer to verify the defendant’s mental health issues, and she replied that this would be difficult in a lot of cases as medical professionals will not give out this information, even with the consent of the patient.
She agreed to try, however, and the case was put back until July 11.