A Fermanagh man has been jailed for 15 months after ramming a garda car in drink fuelled dangerous driving incidents at various locations in south Donegal last week.
34-year-old Brian Corrigan, Drumbroughas, Macken, County Fermanagh drove a stolen vehicle while drunk, with no insurance and repeatedly failed to stop for gardai who had to use three patrol cars to eventually bring him to a halt in Ballyshannon.
He also did a number of U turns at incidents at Ballymagroarty, Parkhill and Coolcholly and pleaded guilty to the charges that happened on September 16. He also pleaded guilt to larceny, handling stolen property a Nissan Almera Car valued at £2,000 and to causing criminal damage to a garda patrol car.
Sergeant Oliver Devaney told the court that a report of drunk driving at Drumlonagher was received at 10.30 am on the date in question.
It failed to stop for gardai at Ballymagroarty and then drove on the wrong side of the road in a dangerous manner until it reached Parkhill, Ballyshannon where he made a similar manoeuvre.
Gardai tried to overtake the defendant, but were unable to do so and they also used a “stinger” but it did not work.The defendant turned right for Rossnowlagh at the roundabout in Ballyshannon, and was overtaken by three garda cars in pursuit He stopped the car, did a U turn, went on the grass verge and collided with the patrol car before being stopped by Ballyshannon based garda Gerry Foy.
His co-accused Ciaran Kelly, Ferney Rise, Enniskillen, (30), was charged with allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle and being drunk and a danger to himself and others on the same date and location at Coolcholly Ballyshannon.
Corrigan had a blood alcohol reading of 215 mcgs per mls of blood, the court heard. The court heard Corrigan had 30 previous convictions in Northern Ireland, including matters for arson, assault on police officers and drugs related offences.
He had convictions for drunk driving and possession of drugs in this jurisdiction.
Defence solicitor Donough Cleary said the car was taken from a friend’s house in Enniskillen and both defendants were very drunk and thought they were in Sligo when detained.
Judge Kevin Kilrane said it was “an appalling episode of dangerous and drunk driving” and the defendant made a very determined effort to escape detection and was quite adept at doing so and only for Garda Foy, who knows where he might have gone.
The judge jailed the defendant for 10 months on the larceny charge and five months consecutively on driving with no insurance. He also jailed the defendant for five months concurrent sentences remaining charges of dangerous driving and causing criminal damage and banned from driving for six years.
His co-accused Ciaran Kelly whose involvement was described as being “minimal” was jailed for two months for allowing himself to be carried in a stolen vehicle and banned from driving for two years.
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