Judge brands Corkman 'Road Runner' for allegedly fleeing gardaí

Darren O’Hara of Glenryan Road, Cork was compared to cartoon character The Road Runner after he was chased by gardaí. 

 A District Court judge compared a 34-year-old man who allegedly fled from gardaí to the cartoon character, The Road Runner.

Darren O’Hara of Glenryan Road, Cork, applied for bail at Cork District Court but abandoned the application following the judge’s comment.

Detective Garda Liam Lingane objected to bail being granted to the accused, He said: “I believe that if given bail he will fail to appear.” 

Det Garda Lingane added: “Gardaí have been actively searching for this man. He took off when he saw us. We pursued him.

“Ten minutes later we observed him again and he took off again.” 

The detective said in his objection to bail that it was only after the second pursuit that Darren O’Hara was arrested.

Judge Alec Gabbett commented: “I want to deal with the Road Runner aspect of this. Gardaí have enough to be doing without chasing after him.”

 Diarmuid Kelleher, said, after a brief adjournment, “In the light of the evidence against bail, he is not now applying for bail.” 

Judge Gabbett remanded him in custody for a week at Cork District Court.

Charges against O’Hara include failing to appear in court previously.