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A young Glengad man
has been put off the road for seven years for
dangerous driving and has been ordered to resit his
driving test. Francis Kelly, 20, from Glentoskert,
Glengad, Malin, was also given a ten-month sentence,
suspended for two years.
He pleaded guilty to the offences which took place
on August 5th, 2006, when he reached speeds of up to
170kph in a Toyota Starlet car with Gardai in
pursuit. On February 25th, 2007, meanwhile, he was
apprehended after he performed dangerous stunts and
tried to escape Gardai on an uninsured quad bike,
the court heard. He had three previous convictions
for dangerous driving and one for drink driving and
had failed, on the instructions of another judge, to
undertake a special driving safety course. Gardai
said the defendant co-operated fully with them after
his arrest.
Judge Desmond Zaidan took a dim view of the
defendant's behaviour.
"This young man appears to have learned nothing and
has scant regard for the road safety laws," he told
defence solicitor Patricia Dorrian.
He said a "grave and aggravating feature" of the
case was that he reoffended while on bail on a
previous dangerous driving charge and while he had
been shown leniency by another judge. "He hasn't
helped himself," said Judge Zaidan.
He was sentenced to four and six months respectively
and disqualified for three and four years
respectively on the two charges of dangerous
driving. His detention was suspended on his own bond
of €2,500 on condition that he keep the peace for
two years. The judge warned him: "If you step out of
line in the next two years even on the most minor
offence, you will go to prison to serve ten months.
It (jail) is not a nice place to be in." Bail in the
event of an appeal was fixed.
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