A LETTERKENNY teenager who was detected by gardaí driving at speed endangering pedestrians has been banned from driving.
Sergeant Jim Collins told Letterkenny District Court that officers were on mobile patrol on October 26, 2023 at 11.15am, when they observed a vehicle exiting a housing estate at The Grange, Glencar.
Gardaí observed that the car accelerated, spinning the wheels before taking off.
Gardaí followed the driver, Michael Quigley (19), 11 Windmill View, Letterkenny, and observed that he straddled the white road line markings and was driving at “high speed”.
Pedestrians were in the area at the time in question, the court was told.
Quigley was subsequently arrested.
He admitted that he had no driving licence or insurance.
Sergeant Collins said Quigley was fully cooperative when apprehended.
The court was told that Quigley has no previous convictions.
Solicitor for Quigley, Rory O’Brien, said his client had no insurance due to “financial reasoning”.
He said Quigley has been cooperative at all times and dealt with the matter at an early stage.
Quigley previously undertook to complete the Pro-Social Driving Course, but Letterkenny District Court was informed that he had not done so.
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham said she took a dim view of the fact that Quigley was driving without a licence or insurance and that he was endangering the public and himself.
Mr O’Brien said: “He is a young man. He was contrite and apologetic.”
For dangerous driving, Quigley was convicted and fined €150 and disqualified from driving for two years.
On a charge of having no insurance, Quigley was also put off the road for two years and fined €150.
The driving bans are to run concurrently.
A charge of driving without a licence was marked as taken into consideration by Judge Cunningham.
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