Judge blames computer games for rise in high-speed car chases

A judge has warned young drivers are playing high-speed car computer games and then thinking they can out-speed gardaí.

Judge Paul Kelly was speaking as he jailed a 22-year-old Co Donegal man who drove at gardaí before trying to escape.

Daryl Kelly appeared before Letterkenny District Court charged with a series of motoring offences. Kelly did a handbrake turn in front of gardaí before driving at them in his silver Honda on December 7th, 2013. Gardaí had to take evasive action. There were three passengers in the car with Kelly.

Kelly travelled on to the Lifford Road, Castlefin and was travelling at 90k/mh in a 50k/mh zone. Gardaí had activated their siren and their flashing lights but the court heard Kelly, of Beechwood grove, Lifford kept driving.

Gardai said they spotted dust and debris and noticed the car had mounted a footpath and had crashed into a wall at the Coneyburrow Road in Lifford.

The accused resisted arrest and gardaí had to use their incapacitating spray as they arrested him.

Judge Paul Kelly said he had noticed an increase in the number of young men coming before his court on such offences.

“There seems to have been an increase in the number of such offences – young men under the influence and sometimes watching too many movies and computer games thinking they can escape gardaí and they put everyone else in considerable danger,” he said.

“This case only came to a halt after three miles and only because this man lost control and hit a wall.”

The car was not insured and did not have a valid NCT certificate.

Kelly was also over the drink-driving limit when taken to be processed at Milford Garda station.

He was jailed for four months for dangerous driving at Lifford Road, Castlefin and also disqualified from driving for three years.

He was also fined €200 for having no insurance and a further €200 for section 4.