ROAD RAGE

Dad-of-nine jailed after taking family on 40-minute high speed driving rampage that injured four Gardai in Cork

The driving rampage lasted for 40 minutes

• Published: 16:56, 17 Nov 2023
• Updated: 16:56, 17 Nov 2023

A DAD-of-nine who took his family on a high-speed driving rampage, injuring four Gardai, has been jailed for three years.

The 35-year-old man, who can’t be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to 13 offences which arose from an incident in Cork on September 28, 2022 – including false imprisonment, endangerment, driving breaches and breaching a protection order.

Detective Inspector Danny Coholan told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the driving rampage lasted for 40 minutes.

The man arranged to meet his wife and six of the children in a Cork town before taking the van and driving through the tunnel, past Mahon and on to Ringaskiddy.

Efforts by Gardai to stop him failed when he rammed the cars in his way.

Over €21,000 in damage was caused to the service vehicles during the offence and four Gardai were hospitalised.

His wife begged him to let her and the kids out of the vehicle, but he refused.

They were terrified and she was gesturing at members of the public for help.

Judge Colin Daly heard the man’s wife had a protection order against him at the time the offence occurred having left the family home a few weeks before the incident occurred.

The man spent less than a week in a residential psychiatric unit just before he carried out the crime.

He took cocaine prior to engaging in the incident. He was also on prescription medication.

He took possession of his wife’s van when she and their children were in it, throwing out the baby seat.

The six children aged from six months to 11 were in the back and were being thrown around during the escapade.

At one stage the rear doors of the van opened leaving the kids in danger of falling out and suffering serious injury.

CRYING FOR HELP

Passing motorists said that they could see the children crying for help.

Judge Colin Daly said that it was a very grave offence.

He said there was a high level of aggression and regarding the false imprisonment the defendant had held the family during a most dangerous car chase for 40 minutes.

Judge Daly jailed the man for four years suspending the last year of the sentence.

He also disqualified the man from driving for 10 years.