Man jailed for motorbike chase

A Ballymun man who led gardai on a high speed chase around Dublin city centre before being flung from his motorbike has received a four year sentence with one suspended.

A Ballymun man who led gardaí on a high speed chase around Dublin city centre before being flung from his motorbike has received a four year sentence with one suspended.

Judge Patricia Ryan said Stephen Nolan (aged 26) was lucky he didn’t injure pedestrians when he broke a red light at O’Connell Bridge and lucky he didn’t injure himself when he came off his bike seconds later after it hit a kerb outside the GPO.

Nolan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving but was convicted after a five day trial of endangerment and further dangerous driving counts in the city centre on March 23, 2008.

He has 124 previous convictions including dangerous driving, unauthorised taking, criminal damage, assault and threats to kill.

Garda Liam Blaine told Ms Karen O’Connor BL, prosecuting, that a colleague on foot patrol spotted a motorbike speeding along Clanbrassil Street.

The bike failed to stop, broke red lights and continued the wrong way up St Stephen’s Green South at speeds of 80mph.

Several garda vehicles chased Nolan along Nassau Street and Westmoreland Street where he made traffic take evasive action.

Gda Blaine said Nolan broke a red light at O’Connell Bridge forcing pedestrians to jump out of the way.

His bike clipped a kerb as it tried to pass a bus by the GPO and flung him into the air.

Nolan’s helmet came off as he was thrown from the bike but he declined medical assistance when gardaí caught up with him.

Gda Blaine agreed with Mr Damien Colgan BL, defending, that his client co-operated fully with gardaí and that his problem is “he seems to get a buzz out of taking cars and bikes”.

Mr Colgan submitted that Nolan is now trying to rehabilitate himself in prison and is on a waiting list to go back to school.

Judge Ryan disqualified Nolan from driving for 10 years.