A man who panicked at being stopped, and sideswiped the Garda when driving away before escaping down the railway after scaling a nine-foot fence, was banned from driving for two years and fined €1,500 in the District Court this week (December 16 ).
Garda Keith Harrison gave evidence that whilst on mobile patrol on the night of October 15 he noticed a car swerving about the road and ordered it to stop.
“Judge, he sped away and he sort of hit me like that [garda makes sidewards motion with his hands],” said Garda Harrison.
“We followed him to the bus station beside the railway where he climbed a nine-foot fence and made good his escape.”
He told the court that the Northern-registered vehicle was immediately impounded on suspicion of being stolen but when following up Garda Harrison discovered the owner to be Aidan McPartland (35 ), with an address at Park Gate, Grange Rath, Drogheda.
“He came to the station and admitted he was the driver that night,” said Garda Harrison.
Because of his guilty plea, the court was made aware of his previous convictions and it was revealed McPartland had been disqualified in November 2004 for failing to give a sample after being stopped for drink driving.
“My client accepts Garda Harrison has been very fair He could’ve come with many more charges,” said defending solicitor, Mr Owen Carty.
On the stand, McPartland apologised for his behaviour.
“When he stopped me, I panicked,” he said.
“Garda Harrison was extremely decent and fair.”
Judge Anderson accepted this.
“I won’t impose a custodial sentence, purely for the guilty plea,” he said, before handing down a three year suspended sentence.
He disqualified him from driving for two years on the careless driving charge and fined him €750.
He fined him another €750 on the Section 109 charge or “doing a runner” and gave him a concurrent two year ban for this also.
McPartland lodged an appeal against conviction with his own bond of €500 and an independent surety of €2,000.
