A 26-year-old Polish man who lead the gardaí on a 160km chase through the south Mayo countryside and switched his lights off on a side road as he tried to evade the gardaí was fined a total of €1,000 and banned from driving for six years in Ballinrobe District Court last week.
Krysztof Pawlowska, Apartment 7, 1 Westview, Military Hill, Cork city, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving, driving without insurance, and having no driving licence in the court. The court was told that on May 25 2008 at 2.55am Pawlowska was seen driving in the Bowers Car Park, Ballinrobe, and when approached by the gardaí he sped off on and led the gardaí on a chase with speeds of up to 160km an hour towards the Kileren townland. At one stage he turned off his lights on the car as he tried to avoid the gardaí, but he eventually stopped the car and tried to make his get away on foot. He was arrested and brought to Castlebar Garda station where he was charged and gave a breath sample which returned a reading of 38mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Pawlowska was convicted and fined €300 for drink driving and banned from driving for six years. He was convicted and fined €300 for drunk driving and banned from driving for six years to run concurrently. For having no insurance he was convicted and fined €300 and banned from driving for six years also to run concurrently. For having no driving licence he was convicted and fined €100.
