A 26-year-old Galway man received a nine month suspended sentence and was disqualified from driving for two years for offences which included assaulting three gardai and stealing a number of vehicles throughout the city almost 10 years ago.
The man, who cannot be named as he was a minor when the offences were committed, appeared before Judge Mary Fahy at Monday’s sitting of the Galway District Court. Inspector Sean Glynn said the State would be offering evidence in respect of nine charges and that a number of other charges would be withdrawn.
The court heard that there were three charges of assault which related to the one incident. On February 18, 2000, the defendant, who was just 17 years old at the time, led gardai on a “high-speed” chase before crashing his car at Cooke’s Corner and fleeing on foot from the scene. Garda Gerry Sweeney chased the defendant and attempted to arrest him. However during the course of the arrest the teen hit Garda Sweeney in the face. The defendant also assaulted two other garda officers. Inspector Glynn said that the gardai sustained no permanent injuries and the defendant was taken to Galway Garda Station where a requirement was made of him to provide a blood/urine sample, but he refused. He was further charged with dangerous driving at Newcastle Road, stealing a vehicle, driving without insurance, and failing to appear in court. A month later, on March 5, the defendant was charged with dangerous driving and with driving without insurance, at Newcastle.
Over a year earlier, on January 15, 1999, the defendant was arrested for a number of offences which involved taking unlawful possession of a mechanically propelled vehicle without the consent of the owner, contrary to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act. While being questioned by gardai the defendant admitted being with other persons when a number of other vehicles were stolen on July 11, 1998 at Newcastle, on July 17, 1998 at the carpark in Salthill, and on February 15, 1998 in Laurel Park. The inspector went onto explain that the defendant was also charged with theft of a vehicles on January 11, 1998, and February 5, 1998.
“At the time of these offences he was a minor. Why did it take so long?,” asked Judge Fahy.
Defence solicitor Sarah O’Dowd said that her client had suffered from serious addiction problems, having started drinking at just 13 years old. She said that the defendant encountered more problems following the death of his mother and a brother. He had been homeless for a time but was now living with his girlfriend in Cork. Ms O’Dowd added that the defendant has been in stable accommodation since 2003 and has not committed an offence since 2000.
The court then heard that these matters came to light when the defendant had an argument with his girlfriend. Ms O’Dowd said that he had “foolishly” given gardai the wrong name and enquiries were made.
Noting that the matters were historical and that the defendant was a minor at the time Judge Fahy convicted the defendant and imposed a total sentence of nine months, suspended for 12 months on condition that he enter into a bond of €300. A fine of €300 and a two year disqualification from driving was also imposed while the remaining charges were taken into consideration.
