A MAN who had been given a suspended sentence for dangerous driving has had the sentence reactivated after he ignored a court order banning him from driving for life.
Donal Brady (34) of Ballybough House, Ballybough, Dublin, had been given a four-year suspended sentence last December after he was involved in a high-speed car chase during which he mounted a footpath at the Five Lamps in Dublin, broke a number of red lights and drove against traffic.
The chase ended only when Brady’s car collided with a taxi, leaving the driver hospitalised and causing €14,500 worth of damage to the taxi.
Brady had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on June 22nd, 2009. His case was brought back before Judge Patrick McCartan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after he committed more offences during the term of his good behaviour bond.
Defence counsel Keith Spencer said Brady needed two kidney transplants and would lose his legs if he ddidn’t get an “experimental operation” which would transplant veins from his arms into his legs. He is on a cocktail of medications because of his kidney failure.
Judge McCartan said Brady had used up all his chances before he reactivated the entire four-year sentence. He said: “I have given this man his chance when I ordered him never to drive a car again. He cannot rely on his health and medical condition. Any operation he needs will be facilitated by the Prison Service.
“He’s had his chances and he’s taken them. The community must be protected and he must serve his sentence.”
The court heard that last June Brady drove a stolen 4X4 from the main street in Blackrock, Co Dublin, and stole a handbag, mobile phone and cheque book from it.
Garda Sgt Seán O’Leary told Garret Baker, prosecuting, that he had arrested Brady and another man at about 8am on June 7th when they were stealing three kegs of Guinness worth €450 from a pub in Gorey, Co Wexford. Brady wasn’t in the 4x4 but the three kegs were found in the back.
The next day Garda Ronan Kennedy, who was investigating the stolen 4x4, checked the Garda Pulse system and found it had been involved in the Gorey theft.
He told the court that the photograph taken of Brady at Gorey matched CCTV images of the suspect in the 4x4 theft.
He arrested Brady and he admitted his part in both incidents.
Brady pleaded guilty at Gorey District Court on October 6th last to stealing the kegs and last Wednesday he pleaded guilty at Dún Laoghaire District Court to stealing the 4x4.