Fleeing motorist jailed for five months and banned from driving for 15 years 

A motorist who sped away from gardaí and was later caught with cannabis herb has been jailed for five months and banned from driving for 15 years.

Stephen Murphy, aged 38, of 1 Deanrock Villas, Togher, Cork, pleaded guilty to charges arising out of the incident.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the accused should not have been driving at all on the day as he was already disqualified from driving and had no licence or insurance.

When Garda Keith Cahill arrested him and charged him with the offence, his reply after caution was: “Sorry about that”.

Murphy has 121 previous convictions. He was convicted 27 times previously for driving without insurance and 16 times for having no licence. He was convicted 13 times for having drugs for his own use.

Solicitor Eddie Burke said he asked the defendant if he had any excuse for driving on the occasion, and that Stephen Murphy replied: “It was poor decision-making.”

Mr Burke said the accused had a very bad heroin addiction in the past, but was clean.

“He is doing extremely well towards what he was,” said the solicitor.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed the prison sentence and driving disqualification.

Sergeant John Kelleher described what happened on August 16. Gardaí were on duty at St Patrick’s Rd when they observed a Volkswagen Jetta being driven quickly and turning right onto Friars Walk without indicating or braking at an amber light.

“Gardaí followed the vehicle onto Townsend Place, Greenmount, Cork, where the driver failed to stop for gardaí when signalled,” said Sgt Kelleher.

“He entered a house at Townsend Place. However, he came back out when signalled by gardaí to do so.

“Gda Cahill informed him he was being searched. He handed over a small white wrap containing suspected cannabis herb.”