High-speed chase case is struck out

CHARGES alleging that he was driving the car involved in a high-speed chase through the streets of New Ross were dismissed when 30-year-old Mark Mullen, Willow cottage, Galbally, Ballyhogue attended the District Court sitting in Wexford.

The accused came to court clean-shaven to hear prosecuting Garda Conor Walsh describe a red-bearded man who drove up to a checkpoint on North Quay on the night of May 21 last year.

The motorist, who was smoking a cigarette, gave his name as Daniel Mullen and the garda noticed that no valid tax was displayed on the vehicle.

Asked to pull over to the side of the street, the driver of the Rover hatchback carrying the registration 04LH1111 instead took off with the gardaí in pursuit, sirens sounding and blue lights flashing.

The hatchback made its way at excessive speed up Mary Street, onto Haughton Place, right into Irishtown and through a red light on to the N30.

It went at such a rate that the patrol car driven by Garda Kevin Burke was unable to catch up and chase was discontinued.

The LH registration was checked out on the garda PULSE computer system and turned out to belong to a saloon rather than a hatchback.

It was Garda Burke who told the court he recognised the driver that night as Mark Mullen whom he knew from seeing at a court hearing a month previously.

However, solicitor Eric Furlong felt that the prosecution had not reached the level of proof required to sustain a criminal conviction.

Judge Bernadette Owens agreed, dismissing dangerous driving and motor insurance charges.