Cork man crashed car during garda pursuit

Brian O’Driscoll from Muskerry Estate, Ballincollig, was sentenced to five months in prison and banned him from driving for two years.

Blue lights and siren of a pursuing garda car were ignored by the driver of an Audi A4 who took off at high speed in a dangerous driving escapade around Ballincollig after midnight.

The car crashed into a stone wall and the driver fled on foot before being found hiding at the rear of a property where he was living.

Inspector Gillian Sinnott outlined details of the series of dangerous driving incidents which occurred on July 4, 2021.

At Cork District Court, Judge Marian O’Leary described the escapade as outrageous. The judge sentenced the Audi driver, 30-year-old Brian O’Driscoll from 39 Castle Avenue, Muskerry Estate, Ballincollig, to five months in prison and banned him from driving for two years.

Failed to stop

The incident last year began when gardaí on patrol in Ballincollig went to stop the Audi A4 driven by O’Driscoll but he failed to stop.

They followed him with blue light and siren signalling for him to stop but he ignored this and drove dangerously through Ballincollig.

The car was driving from Innishannon Lawn to Old Fort Road, to Main Street, Castlepark, Baker Street, and back to Castlepark where it crashed into a stone wall.

The dangerous driving also included mounting footpaths and driving at high speed after midnight.

Eddie Burke, solicitor, said the young man was insured to drive the car and has a very good family background. He had been stopped a number of times before by the gardaí and when they approached him on this occasion he reacted with panic or frustration, Mr Burke said.

Judge O’Leary banned the defendant from driving for two years and sentenced him to five months in prison.

The solicitor asked the judge if she would suspend the jail term. 

The judge replied: “Mr Burke, you heard what the inspector said (in relation to multiple counts of dangerous driving) and it is outrageous.” 

Recognisances of €300 were set if the defendant wanted to appeal the sentence.