Clare man drove quad bike at 100k/ph because Garda car blue lights 'freaked him out'

'You are very lucky you are not going to Limerick Prison, judge told accused

Accused was charged with dangerous driving and judge instead convicted him of careless driving on June 24, 2020, and fined him €200. Picture Dan Linehan

An east Clare man reached speeds of 100k/ph on his quad bike in a high-speed chase with gardaí across four townlands near the village of Tulla over two years ago.

At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis, Judge Alec Gabbett banned Jake James, 27, of Uggoon Upper, Tulla, in east Clare, from driving for two years and told him "you are very lucky you are not going to Limerick Prison”.

Judge Gabbett said quad bikes were “very dangerous”and said Mr James — who works in tree surgery and tree care — and his pillion passenger were not wearing helmets on the day.

Garda Darren McLoughlin said the chase continued for 6.8km and he terminated the chase due to safety considerations for Mr James and his pillion passenger.

Garda McLoughlin said Mr James’s unregistered green Yamaha reached speeds of 100k/ph during the chase through the townlands that included Rine, Drumullan and Milltown.

Judge Gabbett imposed a two-year driving ban and imposed a fine of €300 on Mr James for driving with no insurance. It was Mr James’s second conviction for driving with no insurance.

Mr James was charged with dangerous driving and Judge Gabbett instead convicted him of careless driving on June 24, 2020, and fined him €200.

The judge also imposed 40 hours' community work on Mr James in lieu of two months in prison for failing to stop for Garda McLoughlin on the date.

Garda evidence

In evidence, Garda McLoughlin said during the chase, he activated the blue lights and sirens and Mr James failed to stop.

He said “the driving was quite dangerous but he didn’t exceed speed by more than 20k/ph at any time because I was behind the whole time matching pace with the quad bike”.

Garda McLoughlin said he terminated the chase when Mr James drove his quad bike into a field to go cross country.

He said Mr James later told him that he didn’t stop as the lights on the patrol car “had freaked him out”.

Garda McLoughlin said he first came across Mr James driving his quad bike at a speed of 90kmph on a street in Tulla before he turned off onto a local road.

Mr James has a previous conviction for no insurance and dangerous driving from the same incident in 2014.

Solicitor for Mr James, Stiofan Fitzpatrick said his client was not in a good head space at the time. 

He said: “Mr James just wasn’t thinking straight on the day. Obviously, the facts are extremely dramatic — he went through a number of townlands but it is the one offence."