Man on 40-year driving ban jailed for leading gardaí on high-speed chase

A man who was serving a 40-year driving ban when he led gardaí on a high-speed car chase has been jailed for two and a half years.

Judge Karen O'Connor said that Graham Taylor (29) drove his car at speeds at up to 120kmph in a 50kmph zone and forced other road users to take evasive action to avoid crashing into his car.

She said he was old enough to know better and it was fortunate nobody was injured. Taylor of Kiltalown Park, Tallaght, Dublin has eleven previous convictions for dangerous driving.

He was convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury following a trial earlier this year of three counts of endangerment and three counts of dangerous driving in Tallaght on June 19, 2016.

Taylor, who was disqualified from driving for 40 years in 2012, continues to deny the offences.

Judge O'Connor noted that reports before court from a clinical psychologist and the Probation Services showed that “he is desirous of a better life and is turning a corner”.

She suspended the last year of a three and a half year sentence on condition he engage with addiction services, drug treatment, and victim and offence focused work. She also imposed a ten-year driving disqualification.

His 121 previous convictions include 11 dangerous driving, burglary, handling stolen property, criminal damage, assault of a garda and road traffic and public order offences.

Detective Garda David Jennings told Dean Kelly BL, prosecuting, that he was stopped at lights at 12.30pm at the junction of Brookfield and Cheeverstown Roads when he saw a Volkswagen Passat being driven by a person he recognised as Taylor turning onto Brookfield Road.

Det Gda Jennings said he moved his vehicle to block the path of the Passat but it took off at high speed.

He said gardaí began to pursue the Passat while it drove at high speed on the wrong side of the road overtaking other cars, went the wrong way around roundabouts and forced other motorists to mount the pavement to avoid a collision.

He said at one stage, the gardaí were travelling at 120kmph in a 50kmph zone and the Passat was pulling away from them.

Gda Jennings said the gardaí lost sight of the car after it approached a bend at high speed on the wrong side of the road at Lidl on Fortunestown Lane, before going the wrong way around a roundabout at City West Road.

He said the pursuit, which lasted about two minutes, took place during moderately heavy traffic and the roads were wet and slippery, with light rain falling. The garda agreed with Karl Monahan BL, defending, that there had been no collisions and no injuries.

Mr Monahan said Taylor was now the father of a young child and had strong family support. He said Taylor wished to undertake an electrical apprenticeship and recognised that it was time to change his life.

He said Taylor succumbed to drug use at an early age and first went into custody as a 17-year-old. He submitted there was a risk of institutionalisation given the time Taylor had spent in the prison system.

Counsel said Taylor was using his time in custody well, doing courses and linking in with services.

- Additional reporting by Declan Brennan