Boy( 17) leadsGardaíon 120khighspeedchase

DISTRICT COURT

A 17 year- old boy led Gardaí on 120k chase over an hour and a half through Sligo and Leitrim at speeds of up to 140kph in the early hours of the morning.

The youth eventually abandonned the the car and took off running but was apprehended by Gardaí. He didn’t have insurance and claimed his passengers had told him to keep going when they became aware of the Gardaí attempting to stop them.

Judge Kevin Kilrane told the boy, who had four passengers in the car that it was just a bit of fun as far he was concerned, trying to outrun the Gardaí.

“He has a lot of growing up to do,” said the Judge about the defendant. The Judge said it was a shocking case and that the defendant could have killed himself and his passengers on what were threacherous roads. The boy admitted one count of dangerous driving at Carrowkeel on May 14th last and also with not having insurance.

Inspector Donal Sweeney said that at 2am Gardaí observed a red van parked at the all night filling station on Pearse Road. It exited on to Pearse Road and didn’t have its lights on. Gardaí followed the Caddy van up Pearse Road where an attempt was made to stop it bythe activation of blue lights. The driver took off at speed and made no effort to stop. The defendant drove out to Carraroe then on to the Ballygawley Road and on to Sooey, Geevagh before heading for Ballyfarnon, Drumshambo, Ballinamore, Leitrim Village in a pursuit that lasted for an hour and a half over a distance of some 120 kilometres. The Inspector said the driver had driven in a highly dangerous manner. The driver stopped at a factory and exited the van, running off before being arrested. He didn’t have any previous convictions. Mr Gerard McGovern, solicitor ( defending) said the others in the car had told the defendant to keep going but his driving could not be justified. The boy came from a hardworking decent family. His father had got him work in Dublin on the buildings as a sort of wake- up call for him. In reply to Judge Kilrane, the boy said the Gardaí weren’t too far behind him.

“I panicked and everyone was telling me to keep going. I thought I’d get away,” he said. Mr McGovern said Gardai had been very sensible and had stayed back.

Judge Kilrane said the only good thing was the defendant had been stopped in his tracks at a formative age. The boy was fined € 300 for dangerous driving and banned for three years. He was fined a further € 300 for not having insurance with a one year ban.

“He’s very lucky he’s not going to prison,” said Judge Kilrane.