Gardai followed Offaly teenage driver whose car had no brakes

A YOUNG driver was banned from the road for four years after Tullamore District Court heard of several incidents involving three different cars.

Jake Colleran (19), with addresses at The Green, Clara and Esker Court, Clara had previously been told by Judge Andrew Cody that he could have “blown up half of Tullamore” when he admitted throwing a firework at a woman in the forecourt of a filling station.

Last week Mr Colleran pleaded guilty to further offences, including dangerous driving and reckless endangerment.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan outlined that on June 19 last year at Chancery Lane in Tullamore during a "cannonball run" event at 1.30pm on a Sunday, gardai noticed a Volkswagen Passat with substantial damage to its front side.

It was driving on the R420 towards the N52 and going in and out of heavy traffic.

When a garda drove towards it “the driver took a sudden sharp right turn at the roundabout and immediately passed a large tractor and trailer on the bend”.

Gardai followed the vehicle down Chancery Lane and when the driver lost control he was forced to drive straight down a farm lane narrowly missing a pedestrian who had to take evasive action and jump into the ditch.

The car came to a halt and the driver was apprehended after a foot pursuit. He admitted having no insurance or brakes on the car.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said Mr Colleran was an unaccompanied learner driver and the vehicle was dangerously defective.

The next incident which resulted in prosecution occurred on November 28, 2022 at 1.55pm at Beechmount House, Kilbeggan Road, Clara.

Mr Colleran was in a BMW and when he was signalled to stop he refused to do so and took off at high speed. It was unsafe for the gardai to follow him through the town.

On December 23 last at Hayes Cross, Tullamore he was found in a drunken condition and was abusive to gardai and public and arrested for his own safety.

The incident at the forecourt occurred at Applegreen, Main Street, Tullamore on September 30 last year.

A firework was thrown at a woman from a Ford Focus, hitting her right foot and exploding, causing the victim pain.

“The incident was recorded on CCTV and the defendant was identified as a suspect,” said Sergeant O'Sullivan.

He added that the accused had a previous conviction for speeding in excess of 120kph dating from December 8, 2021.

Mr Colleran's solicitor, Donal Farrelly, said his client was an apprentice mechanic but was unemployed at present and it was hoped he would resume it.

He was in a particularly bad place at the time of the offences and had lost three of his grandparents during Covid.

Mr Farrelly said his parents were in court supporting him and he had been very stressed and distressed about it. He now had a seven-week-old child.

His licence would be a very great loss to him but he was now on the straight and narrow and had brought €500 to court.

He regretted the difficulties he caused the lady in the forecourt. Mr Farrelly asked that Mr Colleran be left with some hope because he was still very young.

Judge Cody said the accused was “on a knife edge” and was at risk of being imprisoned for six to 12 months.

The judge fined him €300, banned him from driving for four years for one of the charges but adjourned all the others to December 13 next, warning Mr Colleran that he would be imprisoned if he came to the court's or garda attention before then.

A probation report was also ordered.