A drink driver who led gardai on a dangerous high speed chase throughout the city for over a half an hour last year has been jailed for 14 months and disqualified for six years.
At Galway District Court yesterday Robert Cranney (27 ) with an address at 35 Ballinfoyle Park, Headford Road, pleaded guilty to the charges of drink driving at Tonagurran, Corrundulla, and with dangerous driving at Upper Salthill on April 12, 2008. He also pleaded guilty to a hit and run at Upper Salthill and 12 counts of dangerous driving at various locations on the same date.
Garda Michael McMahon gave evidence that on April 12, 2008, at 2.20am the defendant’s vehicle, a white van, approached a checkpoint and had initially slowed down but then accelerated, forcing him to jump out of the way. Cranney was followed and at Galway Bay Apartments he overtook a vehicle forcing a patrol car, coming in the opposite direction, to take evasive action. Cranney failed to stop, and went towards Taylor’s Hill/Kingston Road junction where he drove through traffic lights.
After driving at speeds of 110kmph on Quincentenniel Bridge the defendant later took the first exit off Kirwan Roundabout and went through pedestrian crossing lights, forcing a taxi to pull out of the way. Garda McMahon further explained that Cranney stopped at the entrance to Ballinfoyle Park and the patrol car pulled up alongside him. Cranney then suddenly reversed and then drove right into the patrol car and took off. Cranney continued to Ballindooley Cross where other vehicles on the narrow road were forced up onto ditches to avoid him.
Cranney was finally stopped, after a 35 minute chase, at Clonboo because of an obstruction on a narrow road. Garda McMahon said that Cranney refused to open his door and had to be forcibly removed from the vehicle. He added that there had been no injuries and that €1,830 worth of damage was caused to the patrol car. The court had also heard that the defendant had an alcohol reading of 61mgs per 100ml of breath.
“The charge should have been reckless endangerment. It was a deliberate act... This is one of the most serious cases ever to come before this court,” said a shocked Judge Mary Fahy.
Defence solicitor Olivia Traynor said that her client, who has eight previous convictions, had worked as a full time carpenter but had been let go without notice and went drinking on the date of the offence. She said that Cranney wished to apologise to all the people who had been out on the road that night.
“Not alone did he endanger the gardai, he endangered other people. It’s a miracle nobody was injured, ” said Judge Fahy who then convicted and sentenced Cranney to a total of 14 months, disqualified him from driving for six years, and fined him €1,000 with 12 months to pay.
