This article is from page 4 of the 2014-04-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
A WEST Clare mechanic has received fines totaling € 1500 after pleading guilty to what a Judge described as “the worst and most dangerous case of dangerous driving” he has come across.
Judge Patrick Durcan made the comment as he disqualified Daniel Sexton (22) from holding a driver’s license for four years.
Mr Sexton, with an address at Finnuremore, Mullagh, pleaded guilty to one continuous incident of dangerous driving at Lifford Road, Ballymaley, Dulick Gort Road and Ballycorey near Ennis on January 23, 2014. He also admitted charges of ‘drug driving’ and failing to stop when requested to do so by a garda.
Details of the incident were heard at Ennis District Court on Wednesday. Inspector Tom Kennedy said Garda Brian O’Callaghan was operating a checkpoint at Sandfield, Ennis when Mr Sexton’s car approached. The court heard Mr Sexton performed a u-turn and raced out the Gort Road at a speed of 120 kilometres per hour in a 50 km zone.
Insp Kennedy said Mr Sexton started to overtake cars forcing vehicles traveling in the opposite direction to take evasive action
Mr Sexton’s car reached speeds of 150 km/h before he was eventually halted at the Ballymaley business park, four kilometres from the original checkpoint.
It was subsequently discovered Mr Sexton had cannabis in his system.
Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court his client is a hard working man who had agreed to drive the car for a friend.
He said Mr Sexton smoked a joint at a party the night before and when he saw the gardaí, he panicked.
Mr Hassett said, “He cannot be proud of his behaviour, which was disgraceful”.
“He cannot excuse what he did. It was a moment of madness which he will regret for the rest of his life”, he added.
Mr Hassett asked Judge Durcan to consider a postponement of the disqualification for work related reasons.
Judge Durcan said that in his two years sitting on the bench on Clare this is “the worst and most dangerous case of dangerous driving I have come across”.
Of the accused’s driving on the night, Judge Durcan said, “He was absolutely as high as a kite. He probably thought he had wings instead of wheels”.
Judge Durcan ordered Mr Sexton to complete 120 hours of community service in lieu of three months in prison. He imposed fines totalling € 1500 and disqualified Mr Sexton from holding a driver’s license for four years.