Garda caught driver ‘hot as hell’ after doughnuts stunt

A 20-year-old man was caught "hot as hell" when changing his bald tyres after performing doughnuts with his Lexus car near Killarney, Co Kerry. He "volunteered" €2,500 to the court poor box to avoid a conviction for dangerous driving and the possibility of being put off the road or jailed.

Jeremiah Christopher Twomey, Umeraboy, Knocknagree, Mallow, Co Cork, will also have a speed limiter device fitted to his car until early 2018.

He pleaded guilty at Killarney District Court yesterday to a charge of dangerous driving at Lissivigeen, Killarney, on May 27 last year.

Garda Jason Holly gave evidence of receiving a call about doughnuts being performed. Gardaí arrived at a local hotel and found Mr Twomey changing tyres.

“You could smell the rubber,” the garda said, adding that one wheel was defective and tyres were bald.

The defendant had made admissions of doing doughnuts and was carrying two spare wheels.

Liam Ryan, defending, said his client had never been in trouble before and made immediate admissions to the garda. Judge James O’Connor quipped: “But sure he was caught changing two bald tyres, hot as hell!”

Twomey told the judge he had been driving his Lexus for six months. There had been three spectators and he alone was performing the doughnuts.Judge O’Connor rejected Mr Twomey’s statement that the fastest he had ever driven was 90 miles an hour “once only”.

“All these fellows doing doughnuts are well used to speed, zig-zagging cars, and all that jazz,” the judge said.