Teenager drove at speed through housing estate
A TEENAGER (17) who drove a car at speed through a housing estate has been banned from driving for three months by Tallaght District Court.
The 17-year-old, who has an address in Tallaght, had pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving at a location in Tallaght on January 31, 2017.
Garda James Ward told Judge Dermot Dempsey that on the above date, he had been on patrol in a housing estate in Tallaght when he observed a blue Peugeot 206 driven by the teenager.
He said the car was “driving particularly fast”.
He added: “At this point I had a clear view of the driver. I activated my blue lights and sirens and signalled for him to stop. The driver failed to stop and continued to drive at speed for 200 metres.”
Garda Ward said the driver then stopped the car abruptly in the middle of the road before exiting the vehicle and fleeing on foot. He said he pursued the teenager on foot and apprehended him after a short chase.
Garda Ward said that during the arrest of the teenager he was forced to use the capacitant spray.
The teenager’s counsel, Stephen Montgomery Bl, asked Judge Dempsey for a direction on the grounds that there was no evidence to carry a dangerous driving charge. He said that the only evidence of driving that Garda Ward had given was that the car was being driven “particularly fast”.
He said there was no indication that there were any other motorists or any other members of the public in the area at the time.
Garda Ward said that he had mentioned that the incident occurred in a housing estate. Judge Dempsey told Mr Montgomery that he had a case to answer.
Mr Montgomery said that he was not going into evidence.
Judge Dempsey found the teenager guilty. Garda Ward said the teenager had no previous convictions.
Judge Dempsey disqualified the teenager from driving for three months.
