Up to 200 “boy racers” were travelling around Galway city last August in convoys and gathering in car parks to show off their skills and their wanton disregard for their safety and the safety of others.
The Galway Circuit Appeals Court heard that the city had been inundated with “boy-racers” who had been travelling around in groups of about 50. After hearing the case of one such offender Judge Raymond Groarke warned that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated by the courts.
Ronan Kyne (21 ) with an address at Cortoon, Shrule, Mayo, appeared before Judge Groarke after appealing the severity of the penalty he received in the Galway District Court last year. He had been fined €500 and disqualified for 12 months for dangerous driving.
Garda Gerry Sweeney told the court last Tuesday that on August 31, 2008, at 3.25pm at Glenrock Business Park, Tuam Road, Galway, there was a large gathering of cars. Garda Sweeney pulled his unmarked car up beside one of the buildings and observed Kyne doing handbrake turns, “about four to five revolutions”, in the car park which had been lined with people. He added that if Kyne’s car had gone out of control “there would have been serious consequences”.
The court also heard that as well as Kyne’s car there had been 15 to 20 other cars at the rear of the carpark and about 30 more to the front. Garda Sweeney explained that at the time of the incident there had been a large number of “boy racers” driving around the city, about 200 were travelling in a convoy in groups of about 50.
Kyne’s defence counsel said that the appeal was against the severity of the disqualification only. It was explained that the appellant’s mother is clinically blind and totally relies on her son to drive her around. Kyne has also retuned to complete his Applied Leaving Certificate and has to drive eight miles to school.
The barrister then asked Judge Groarke to consider her client’s particular circumstances as the disqualification was “unduly harsh” adding that Judge Mary Fahy [Galway District Court] has a “blanket policy in these types of cases”.
“What is really going on is he cannot abide being separated from his car. He is a boy racer who was found driving around with a large crowd of similarly minded people in convoys of up to 50 cars. He has demonstrated an attitude of mind which I find intimidating. However, the disqualification is not just punishing him it is punishing his mother,” said Judge Groarke who reduced the length of the disqualification to three months, postponed until June 1, 2009.
“I’m hoping he talks to his pals and tells them the courts won’t tolerate it,” he said.
