A 23-year-old unemployed Swinford man who jumped out of a car that was being pursued by gardaí and almost caused an accident when he fell into the path of the Garda car, was fined a total of €375 in Ballyhaunis District Court this week.
Paul Howley, 22 Brabazon Heights, Swinford pleaded guilty to two charges in court.
Garda Donal Raftery told the court that he was on duty in Knock on June 5 2009 in the patrol car at 1.10am with a colleague when they saw a car driving erratically. They activated the blue lights on the Garda car, but the other vehicle failed to stop and drove off towards Kilkelly, which led to a 10-mile pursuit. At 1.36am Garda Raftery told the court the car slowed down and a man jumped out of it and almost caused the Garda car to collide with him only for quick thinking by his colleague, Garda Monaghan, who avoided him. The Garda car continued in pursuit of the car which Howley had jumped from, but they lost the car. At 1.50am while driving back the road they found Howley at Shammerbarn, Kilkelly. The arrested him, but he refused to give his name and address when asked at first, eventually giving the name Kevin Wilde of no fixed abode. Howley pleaded guilty to a Section 24 public order act of failing to give a correct name to gardaí and was convicted and fined €300, and to a Section 55 road traffic charge of causing a danger to others in a public place and was fined €75.
