Banned Cork driver rammed garda cars and drove wrong way through Jack Lynch Tunnel

Accused jailed for 'appalling litany of driving offences covering large swathes of Cork City'

Defendant was also sentenced for offences on February 25, 2021, when he sped in the wrong direction through the Jack Lynch Tunnel while maintenance staff were working in the early hours of the morning. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

A motorist showed a contemptuous attitude to driving bans by committing multiple further counts of endangerment and dangerous driving — including the ramming of garda cars and driving the wrong way through a bore of the Jack Lynch tunnel when maintenance work was being done.

That was the view of Judge Dara Hayes in the cases against Tony Caulfield at Cork Circuit Criminal Court as he imposed a sentence of four and a half years with the last two years suspended.

“This was an appalling litany of driving offences covering large swathes of Cork City. He drove the wrong way through the Jack Lynch Tunnel [west through the eastbound bore] when unsuspecting maintenance workers were entitled to presume the absence of traffic. It is a miracle nobody was injured during either of the disgraceful episodes.

“That he continues to flout disqualifications shows a contemptuous attitude on his part. He has ruined his own life. He is remorseful for his actions. He appears to be now ready to leave his destructive life behind him.

“He says he was young and stupid. The probation report puts him at a very high risk of reoffending,” Judge Hayes said.

Tony Caulfield, of 221 Cathedral Road, Gurranabraher, Cork, admitted that on November 18, 2021, he endangered life in the early hours of the morning at N20 Mallow Road, Killeens, Co Cork, by driving against oncoming traffic on a dual-carriageway, causing risk of death or injury.

He also admitted that on the same date at the Skew Bridge, Lower Glanmire Road, Cork, he intentionally rammed two garda cars, endangering life.

Other counts against him at Cork Circuit Criminal Court included causing €7,000 worth of damage to a garda car at the Skew Bridge and causing €3,000 damage to another garda vehicle at Killeens on the same date. He admitted a third count of causing €6,000 damage to a patrol car on the Mallow Road, Cork.

The defendant also pleaded guilty to related counts of dangerous driving at Sweeney’s Hill and at Knockfree Avenue in Cork on the same date.

The same defendant was also sentenced for offences on February 25, 2021, when he sped in the wrong direction through the Jack Lynch Tunnel while maintenance staff were working in the early hours of the morning.

The accused had two previous convictions for endangerment and 20 for dangerous driving.

Judge Hayes said it was a shocking litany of driving offences where garda cars were rammed, he drove through a total of 11 red lights and there was no insurance for driving. In fact, he was under two different disqualification orders at the time.

Siobhán Lankford, defence senior counsel, said on behalf of the accused, who is in his mid-20s: “Clearly, he has — to say the least — a lamentable history in relation to driving… Over the last 10 years he has hardly had a birthday or a Christmas that was not spent in prison. One hopes that, as often occurs, when people reach a certain age they steady up.”