An 18-year-old man who was observed travelling at speed before he failed to yield for a Garda car at a roundabout was before Ballina District Court this week to face a dangerous driving charge along with other road traffic charges.
Garda Adrian Smith outlined that on June 20 2009 at 2.05am he observed a wine BMW travel at speed down Corcoran Terrace and onto the nearby roundabout where the driver of the car failed to yield for the Garda car being driven by Garda Smith. The garda also noticed that the brakes of the car were screeching when travelling around the roundabout. At Corcoran Terrace the car came to a sudden halt in the middle of the road. Alex Keane, Heathfield Lodge, Ballycastle, then emerged from the car and approached a number of youths.
Garda Smith noticed that the tax and insurance were out of date on the vehicle and that there was no NCT displayed. Keane also produced a provisional licence, had no L plates displayed, and was unaccompanied.
Solicitor for the defendant, Adrian Bourke, said that his client was 17 at the time of the incident and is a “totally dysfunctional boy” who was abandoned by his parents and reared by his grandparents and now resides on his own in Ballycastle. Mr Bourke said that Keane, who has no previous convictions, has a drink and a temper problem and would benefit from a probation report.
Judge Mary Devins adjourned the matter to March 9 2010 for the preparation of a report and the defendant gave sworn undertakings to the court, which among others, were that he would not drive and would be of good behaviour.
