Dangerous driver found via selfies

Selfies taken by a motorist led directly to his prosecution on multiple counts of dangerous driving after he took off at speed from gardaí through red lights in Cork city.

The motorist was approached at Lavitt’s Quay by Garda Kevin Connolly but drove off over Patrick’s Bridge through a red light, went through another red light on the other side, and continued through a third one on Bridge St before proceeding up Patrick’s Hill against a one-way system in the early hours of February 27.

Garda Connolly decided, in the interests of public safety, that it would be safer to discontinue the pursuit. However, the motorist was still detected definitively with the help of his own phone. The car was abandoned at Grosvenor’s Place off Wellington Rd a short time later. The driver and his two passengers ran away.

However, when Garda Connolly arrived at the scene he found a mobile phone had fallen on the ground directly outside the driver’s door. The phone was later examined and photographs retrieved. Included in the photographs were several selfies that the guard recognised as the driver he had been talking to at Lavitt’s Quay before the Ford Ka was driven away. The pictures were circulated across a number of Garda stations.

Garda Michael Nagle identified the driver as William O’Sullivan, aged 24, of 2 Comeragh Close, The Glen, Cork.

Frank Buttimer was in Cork District Court to represent the accused, who failed to appear for his case yesterday.

Judge Olann Kelleher convicted him on four counts of dangerous driving, as well as driving while disqualified, having no insurance, and no licence.

The judge issued a warrant for the arrest of O’Sullivan so that he could be brought before the court to be sentenced on the charges.