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Seven-year driving ban for Glengad man 18.05.07

A young Glengad man has been put off the road for seven years for dangerous driving and has been ordered to resit his driving test. Francis Kelly, 20, from Glentoskert, Glengad, Malin, was also given a ten-month sentence, suspended for two years.
He pleaded guilty to the offences which took place on August 5th, 2006, when he reached speeds of up to 170kph in a Toyota Starlet car with Gardai in pursuit. On February 25th, 2007, meanwhile, he was apprehended after he performed dangerous stunts and tried to escape Gardai on an uninsured quad bike, the court heard. He had three previous convictions for dangerous driving and one for drink driving and had failed, on the instructions of another judge, to undertake a special driving safety course. Gardai said the defendant co-operated fully with them after his arrest.
Judge Desmond Zaidan took a dim view of the defendant's behaviour.
"This young man appears to have learned nothing and has scant regard for the road safety laws," he told defence solicitor Patricia Dorrian.
He said a "grave and aggravating feature" of the case was that he reoffended while on bail on a previous dangerous driving charge and while he had been shown leniency by another judge. "He hasn't helped himself," said Judge Zaidan.
He was sentenced to four and six months respectively and disqualified for three and four years respectively on the two charges of dangerous driving. His detention was suspended on his own bond of €2,500 on condition that he keep the peace for two years. The judge warned him: "If you step out of line in the next two years even on the most minor offence, you will go to prison to serve ten months. It (jail) is not a nice place to be in." Bail in the event of an appeal was fixed.

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