Banned driver was smoking a cigarette, window down, going 180km/h ... the wrong way down a motorway

A judge has told a man who put motorists’ lives in danger by driving up the motorway the wrong way three times, “don’t come out of Cork”.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan also said he wants Patrick Cotter, aged 54, of Church St, Bandon, Co Cork, to give up his charity work that involved him travelling around and “to just watch the television from now on”.

Judge Durcan made his comments before giving Mr Cotter a suspended 10-month prison term and a 10-year driving ban “for the worst driving case I have come across in my three and a half years on the bench”.

The judge said Mr Cotter — who suffers from bipolar disorder — “is, when unwell, a massive danger to the public at large”.

Judge Durcan said the evidence “was truly horrific” and Mr Cotter’s record of 247 previous convictions that included 23 for drink driving; 26 for driving without insurance; nine for hit and run; five for careless driving and two for dangerous driving “is something I have never come across before”.

Judge Durcan said 79 prison terms have previously been imposed on Mr Cotter and 26 suspended sentences.

In court yesterday, Mr Cotter said: “I would like to apologise for the confusion...”, which prompted Judge Durcan to interject “not confusion, danger you caused”.

Mr Cotter replied: “Yes, especially to Garda John Reidy and only for him being there at the scene, I think this would be a totally different court case”.

In reply to Judge Durcan, Mr Cotter said he understood he put the lives of Garda Reidy and other motorists in danger.

Judge Durcan asked him: “Will you stay in Cork? Don’t come out of it — we don’t want you coming up here onto the dual carriageway.”

Judge Durcan praised Garda Reidy for his courage when putting his life at risk in keeping up with Mr Cotter on his Garda motorcycle as they sped 180kph along the motorway for 16km before Mr Cotter came to a stop at Crusheen.

In his evidence, Garda Reidy said there were “a number of close calls” for motorists who avoided colliding with Mr Cotter driving his Mercedes the wrong way on motorway lanes linking Limerick to Ennis.

Garda Reidy said there were three episodes of Mr Cotter driving against traffic on the wrong side of the motorway on June 18 last.

Mr Cotter was before the court having pleaded guilty to six separate charges of dangerous driving in relation to a series of incidents along a 41km stretch of motorway from Cratloe to Crusheen.

Warnings were broadcast on Clare FM on the morning of the incident, advising motorists of a man driving the wrong direction on the south-bound and north-bound lanes linking Limerick to Ennis.

At the time of the incident, Mr Cotter had been banned, in 2012 at Limerick Circuit Court, from driving for 30 years. Mr Cotter had not taken his bipolar medication on the day, which happened to be the second anniversary of the sudden death of his son — he had also already lost a daughter.

In his ruling yesterday, Judge Durcan said Mr Cotter was involved in “an appalling transgression that put members of the public at huge risk”..

The case was adjourned to yesterday to allow Mr Cotter’s GP, Dr Eoin Monaghan, outline details of a care plan for his patient.

Dr Monaghan told the court: “When Patrick is well, I can deal with Patrick all the time. When he is unwell, he is absolutely unwell and very difficult to manage.”

Judge Durcan said he would suspend the 10-month sentence on the undertaking Mr Cotter would abide by all aspects of the care plan.