Jail term and ban for ramming Garda car

A motorist high on drugs who rammed a Garda car twice during an escapade of dangerous driving was banned from driving for 10 years and jailed for five years with the last two years suspended.

Kenneth Hornibrook, aged 37, of 3 Kilmore Rd, Knocknaheeeny, Cork, was sentenced by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin yesterday after pleading guilty earlier in the week at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The judge said: “This was a highly dangerous escapade. The evidence is that you were so overdosed on drugs you did not even have a recollection of what happened.

“That is not a great reassurance to the people of Cork. This was a significant incident, aggravated by you state of mind on the night in question.”

Detective Garda Michael Dolan said Hornibrook had more than 100 previous convictions, including numerous counts of dangerous driving.

He pleaded guilty to 12 counts which related to offences at Rathduff Village, Garravagh, Inniscarra, and Monacanappa, Blarney, Co Cork, on February 12.

The counts included driving and damaging a stolen Audi car and being in possession of the stolen car keys.

Hornibrook also admitted damaging shutters at Brown’s service station in Inniscarra on the date in question.

Hornibrook admitted that, on February 12, he rammed an official Garda vehicle at Monacanappa and again at Rathduff, intentionally or recklessly thereby creating a risk of death or serious injury.

Defence barrister Vicki Buckley said the defendant was keen to continue with drug rehabilitation programmes while in prison to put his life on a better footing for the future.