Cork teenager accused of driving stolen BMW wrong way on road remanded in custody

The 17-year-old was in Cork District Court on a total of 10 charges

A garda managed to use his patrol car to obstruct the driving of the stolen car. File picture

The Cork teenager accused of driving a stolen BMW X5 at high speed in the wrong direction for 600 metres on the N40 at Douglas recently appeared before the Children’s Court in Cork on Friday where he was remanded in detention for a fortnight.

The teenager first appeared in court on September 3. Now at a sitting of Cork District Court for juvenile cases, Judge Treasa Kelly has remanded him in detention until September 18, on the application of Inspector James O’Donovan to allow time for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Garda Niall McCarthy testified that at 4.35am on August 20, a BMW X5 which was stolen at Ardfoyle Crescent in Ballintemple, was observed by Garda Shane McCarthy at Ringmahon Road in Mahon. 

Garda McCarthy was in a patrol car and managed to use the vehicle to obstruct the driving of the stolen car.

“This forced the car to stop and Garda Shane McCarthy could see that the driver was the 17-year-old. The teenager performed a u-turn and drove off at a speed of 110 kilometres per hour. 

"At junction 8 at Douglas he drove east down the carriageway of the N40 in the incorrect direction for a distance of 600 metres before leaving at junction 7,” Garda McCarthy said.

Garda Niall McCarthy said the teenager drove against oncoming traffic during this driving escapade putting himself and other road users at risk.

When he was being arrested at around 11pm on September 2 he ran out the back door of his home, jumped over a fence and climbed on to the roof of a neighbouring property, the witness alleged.

He was in Cork District Court on a total of 10 charges including driving this stolen car and four counts of dangerous driving. He was charged with another count of stealing a €35,000 Range Rover at Barrington’s Avenue, Ballintemple, on August 7.

Applying for bail on September 3, the 17-year-old said: “I can promise I will be good, like. I will stay at home, I will sign on every day, I will stay out of certain places,” but bail was refused.