Man, 19, crashed friend’s car while drunk and uninsured

A young man who crashed his friend’s car while drunk and uninsured was banned from driving for four years and given 140 community service in lieu of 10 months in jail.

Joseph Mulcahy, aged 19, of Riverview, Ballyhahill, Co Limerick, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving, driving uninsured, driving without a licence, and causing criminal damage to other cars.

He was arrested by gardaí at 3.15am on Apr 19, 2012, at the junction of O’Connell St and Roches St, Limerick City.

Gardaí driving a marked patrol car “cornered” Mulcahy’s vehicle after he crashed into a car and a 4x4 trying to evade gardaí. Damage of €2,381 was caused to the vehicles, both of which were parked at the time.

Judge Eugene O’Kelly was told Mulcahy was over seven times the legal limit of 20mg per 100ml of blood.

Solicitor John Herbert said Mulcahy had been drinking all day and had “very little driving experience” when he took a car belonging to a friend.

The solicitor said Mulcahy would be celebrating his 20th birthday in September, and had stayed away from alcohol since the events.

Judge O’Kelly said: “There was a tremendous amount of immaturity and he is lucky; if he was an older man, he would be facing a lengthy jail sentence.”

Mulcahy, who had eight previous convictions, received a four-year driving ban for dangerous driving.

Judge O’Kelly also imposed two concurrent three-year disqualifications for drink driving and driving without insurance.

Judge O’Kelly remanded Mulcahy to appear at the District Court on Apr 10 to hear a probation report on his suitability for community service.