Detective feared he could kill someone during pursuit along rural Limerick road
A DETECTIVE decided to stop a garda pursuit along a narrow country road as he feared there could be a “fatality”.
Levi Meehan, aged 19, of The Archways, Newcastle West pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving and driving without insurance or a driving licence at the local court.
Detective Garda Patrick Lee said he was in an unmarked patrol car on July 1, 2021 when, on exiting a petrol station at Churchtown, Newcastle West, he saw Mr Meehan driving a vehicle with another male in the passenger seat who was also known to him.
“They were going in the direction of Ardagh. I was going in the same direction. Two or three miles outside the town the car turned down a very narrow road. The speed limit is 80kms. I turned on the blue lights and indicated for them to stop. The car took off at high speed. I deactivated my lights and stopped the chase.
“I believed it was dangerous for me to continue at that speed. If I met another car or a pedestrian there could have been a fatality,” said Det Garda Lee.
The detective located the car at the end of the road at Garranekeevan, Newcastle West and saw the driver running through fields.
“There were three other passengers in the car. I made enquiries with (garda) control. It was registered to a name that one of the passengers had. He denied he was the owner of the vehicle. The passengers said they did not know the driver. They said they got a lift,” Det Garda Lee told the court.
Judge Carol Anne Coolican was told the vehicle was registered to Mr Meehan’s address but when Det Garda Lee called to the house on July 7, 2021, Mr Meehan’s parents “denied any knowledge”.
When Det Garda Lee spoke to Mr Meehan, the defendant denied driving the vehicle on the date in question.
Daniel Krieth, solicitor for Mr Meehan, made an application to Judge Carol Anne Coolican to dismiss all charges on the issue of identification.
“Garda Lee said he observed Mr Meehan on the opposite side of the road through two separate panes of glass as he was exiting a petrol station when he would have been looking at both sides of the road,” said Mr Krieth.
The solicitor also submitted the dangerous driving charge did not meet the required (legal) threshold.
Inspector Gearoid Thompson, prosecuting, said gardai are well used to identifying drivers and Mr Meehan was just five metres away from Det Garda Lee.
Regarding the dangerous driving charge, Insp Thompson said the detective made the right decision to abandon the chase because it was “dangerous to the public”.
Judge Coolican said she believed there was sufficient evidence to meet the case.
Mr Meehan then took the stand and said he was not driving.
Insp Thompson commented that Det Garda Lee “didn’t pull his name out of thin air” adding: “He saw you driving and the car was registered to your home address.”
Mr Meehan again denied driving the vehicle.
Judge Coolican said she was satisfied that Det Garda Lee had identified Mr Meehan when he was coming out of the petrol station and that he was guilty of dangerous driving.
The judge also referred to Det Garda Lee's evidence that he had stopped the pursuit over fears of causing a fatality.
In mitigation, Mr Krieth said his client was 17 at the time.
“He ordinarily works in construction but is in between jobs. He doesn’t agree with the court. He fell in with a bad crowd but has moved away from them. He has no previous convictions,” said Mr Krieth.
Judge Coolican imposed fines totalling of €1,000 in relation to the dangerous driving and insurance charges. The driving licence matter was taken into consideration.
Recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal.