Driver forced gardaí off road

A van driver going around a dangerous bend while using a mobile phone forced an oncoming car into a ditch to avoid a crash — and two off-duty gardaí were travelling in the car.

Garda Keith Reidy of Kanturk station was a front-seat passenger in the car and Garda Lyndsey Nason of Shannon station was driving at lunchtime on Aug 3, 2012.

Michael Kiely, aged 19, of Kilbarry Cottage, Old Mallow Rd, Cork, pleaded not guilty at Cork District Court to charges of dangerous driving and driving while on a phone at Lower Killeens, Blarney, and later being threatening and abusive to Garda Reidy at Faggot Hill.