A speeding motor-cyclist reached speeds of 210kmph in a high-speed chase involving a Garda patrol car on a motorway last year.
At Ennis District Court today, Judge Patrick Durcan imposed a suspended eight month prison term on Brendan Nagle (36) and banned him from driving for two years after convicting him of two dangerous driving offences on the date.
Judge Durcan also imposed a fine of €1,500 on Mr Nagle of Clondrinagh, Lissycasey and said that the 210kmph speed his Yamaha motorcycle reached on June 14th last on the main Limerick to Galway motorway “frightens me”.
Judge Durcan stated: “This is one of the worst cases of dangerous driving I have come across in my time as a judge and the level of speed in this case is totally unacceptable. I have a complete abhorrence of Mr Nagle’s driving on the day.”
Judge Durcan told the court that Mr Nagle’s irresponsibility had “endangered Garda Michael Daniels when he was forced to pursue Mr Nagle from the slow lane and drive at least 210kmph to keep up with Mr Nagle”.
Judge Durcan stated that during the chase, Garda Daniels had reached parallel with Mr Nagle and had motioned him to slow down and pull over but Mr Nagle kept driving.
Judge Durcan stated that Mr Nagle’s resistance to a direction from Garda Daniels was “a severely aggravating factor” in the case.
Judge Durcan stated that Mr Nagle had displayed “arrogance and stupidity and a combination of both”.
Sgt Aiden Lonergan stated that Garda Daniels first spotted Mr Nagle doing a speed of 140kmph at Drumline, Newmarket on Fergus on the M18 motorway at 1.15pm on June 14th and gave chase with the blue lights flashing and sirens sounding.
Sgt Lonergan stated that Mr Nagle then reached speeds of 210kmph on the motorway before coming off the motorway at Ennis and “did full loops of a roundabout to make good his escape”.
Sgt Lonergan stated that Gardai had erected a check-point at Beechpark, Ennis and stated that Mr Nagle somehow got his motorbike through “a four foot gap” and drove down a link road on the wrong side on the hard shoulder.
Sgt Lonergan stated that it was Garda Daniels’s view that the manoeuvre to get through the four foot gap “was highly dangerous that put Garda Daniels and others in peril”.
Mr Nagle brought his motorcycle to a stop and Sgt Lonergan stated that Mr Nagle told Garda Daniels that didn’t stop earlier as “he had got a fright”.
In suspending the prison term, Judge Durcan took into account Mr Nagle’s “impeccable character”, no previous convictions and his early plea of guilt to the two dangerous driving offences.
Solicitor for Mr Nagle, Patrick Moylan said that a driving ban could have a major impact on his client’s livelihood as he drives a waste collection truck for a living.
Mr Moylan stated that Mr Nagle has not been in trouble before or since the speeding incident.
Mr Moylan stated that nothing can justify Mr Nagle’s behaviour but he was under stress due to Covid-19 and the breakdown of a relationship with his girl-friend.
Mr Moylan stated that single man, Mr Nagle is a hugely valued employee and what happened was a one off.
On request from Mr Moylan, Judge Durcan deferred the driving ban to October 1st and set recognisance in the event of an appeal.
