A Dublin man who drove a stolen BMW which collided with two other vehicles after breaking a red light at 60 m.p.h. was jailed for a total of nine years yesterday. Gary Kinlan had earlier tried to ram a Garda patrol car while driving the stolen vehicle.
The patrol car had to mount the footpath on two occasions to avoid being hit.
The eventual collision with a Nissan Maxima and a taxi at the Five Lamps junction at Amiens Street in Dublin caused a total of £60,000 damage, Garda Kevin Stratford told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Kinlan, a heroin addict, had been on temporary release from a three-year sentence at the time.
On the completion of the sentence he was released on bail and on November 28th last year he was involved in two handbag snatches at Frederick Lane in the city centre.
On the second occasion, the victim, student Ms Rebecca McDonald, caught Kinlan, overpowered him and forced him to drop the bag before letting him go.
He ran off but was arrested, Garda Oliver Woods told Ms Una Ni Raifeartaigh, prosecuting.
Kinlan (20), Gloucester Place, pleaded guilty to driving the stolen car and criminal damage on October 19th, 1995 and to the handbag offences.
Judge Kieran O'Connor said Kinlan drove like a "lunatic", resulting in the collision.
"I am appalled that you would drive in the way that you did. Anyone driving at 60 miles per hour though a red light can kill, maim or cause serious injury.
"If you want to kill yourself or your friends that is a matter for you. But the public and gardai are entitled not to be met on the road by a lunatic," said the judge.
He imposed a four-year sentence for the car offences and a consecutive five-year term for the handbag snatches.
Judge O'Connor said he would give Kinlan "light at the end of the tunnel" by allowing him to apply for a review of his sentence in June 2000. He would have to be drug-free if he was to be released then.