A man who rammed a Garda patrol car during a high speed road chase through built up areas of Ennis and the surrounding countryside has been jailed for 10 months.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan jailed 29-year-old Derek Davis of Balreask Manor, Trim Rd, Navan for dangerous driving and failing to provide a blood or urine specimen to Gardai last Tuesday week.
A man who rammed a Garda patrol car during a high speed road chase through built up areas of Ennis and in the surrounding countryside has been jailed for 10 months.
At Ennis District Court yesterday, Judge Patrick Durcan jailed Derek Davis (29) of Balreask Manor, Trim Rd, Navan for dangerous driving and failing to provide a blood/urine specimen to Gardai on June 27th last.
Judge Durcan also banned Mr Davis from driving for seven years.
In sentencing Mr Davis, Judge Durcan said that Mr Davis had endangered the lives of Gardai and other road users during the ‘terrible events’ in Ennis last Tuesday week.
Judge Durcan said that the “level of endangerment that Mr Davis put road users in was intolerable”.
Judge Durcan said that Garda Colin Egan had ‘chillingly’ described the events where Garda Egan said that Mr Davis drove at speeds in excess of 140kph in speed zones of 50, 80 and 100kph around Ennis.
Garda Egan said that at the end of the chase that ended down a cul de sac road near the village of Kilnamona, Mr Davis rammed the Garda patrol car by reversing into it.
Garda Egan said that pepper spray was deployed and Mr Davis was removed from the car.
Garda Egan said that later at Ennis Garda Station, Mr Davis told Gardai in no uncertain terms that he would not be providing a blood or urine sample to test for drink driving.
The Garda said that earlier Gardai has been informed that a driver was on the motorway and came off the motorway into Ennis on the Barefield exit.
Garda Egan said that his patrol car tried to block it on Ennis’s Gort Rd where the car was travelling in excess of 100kmph in the 50kmph zone.
Garda Egan said that Mr Davis’s car swung across its path and tried to undertake and overtake the Garda car.
The Garda said that the car overtook the Garda car with oncoming motorists having to take evasive action.
Garda Egan said that the pursuit went towards the Drumcliffe cross at Lees Rd and Mr Davis continued at high speed going around two narrow bends before joining the Lahinch Rd.
The Garda said that Mr Davis drove across the Drumcliffe Cross and across the main Lahinch Rd without stopping.
Garda Egan said that Mr Davis’s car came to a stop at Whelan’s Quarry and two Garda cars pulled up alongside.
Garda Egan said that he was “about to get into the car and he took off and me half into the car”.
Insp Tom Kennedy said that Mr Davis was previously disqualified from driving for six years at Kells District Court in March 2011 but was not disqualified for last week’s incident.
