A 24-year-old Ballybane man who led gardai on a high speed chase in a stolen car while drink driving and disqualified, before travelling the wrong way on a roundabout and crashing, has been sentenced to 15 months in jail and disqualified from driving for 10 years.
Richard McDonagh with an address at 19 Sliabh Rua, Ballybane, was brought before Galway District Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to taking a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner at Glason Student Village, Ballybane Road, obtaining petrol to the value of €50 at Monahan’s Garage, Tuam Road, and leaving without paying as well as drink driving, dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified at Fairfield, Loughrea, and dangerous driving and driving without a licence at Drought, Kilrickle, on February 13, 2012.
Inspector Ernie Whyte told the court that at 9.30am gardai at Loughrea Garda Station received a report of a drunk driver driving in the area. When gardai went to the area they observed a car driving at “high speed” and a chase then ensued. During the chase the car, driven by the defendant, overtook on a continuous white line a number of different times forcing other vehicles to maneouvre out of the way and take evasive action.
The chase came to an abrupt end when the car drove the wrong way on a roundabout at Fairfields, at speed, before crashing. An intoxiliser test later revealed a reading of 51mgs of alcohol per 100mls of breath. The inspector also said that earlier that same day the defendant drove the stolen car into Monaghan’s Garage, filled it with petrol, and failed to pay.
Defence solicitor Alma Whelan said that her client is “very remorseful” for his actions and that the offences in question had been committed after he had been drinking for “three to four days solid”. She added that her client, who left school at 15 and is unemployed, has had serious issues with alcohol from an early age.
“He goes and steals a car, then steals petrol and crashes the car, leaving a student at a loss with no hope of compensation,” replied Judge Mary Fahy who was then told that the defendant has 42 previous convictions including a five year disqualification imposed in November 2010.
“With all his previous convictions all I can do is give him a custodial sentence but I know that as soon as he is out he will be up to the same thing... He was on bail when these offences were committed and he re-offended,” said Judge Fahy who then convicted McDonagh and imposed a total of 15 months in jail and a 10 year disqualification from driving. Leave to appeal was granted.
