Teen (17) accused of speeding on wrong side of dual carriageway in Dublin
Tom Tuite
A teenage boy faces trial accused of endangerment of life by speeding on the wrong side of a dual carriageway during a car chase in Tallaght, Co Dublin.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, appeared at the Dublin Children's Court on a litany of charges connected to the high-speed pursuit at around 10:30 am on November 21st last year.
He is accused of endangering life and seven counts of dangerous driving in a stolen rental Go Car and faced a preliminary hearing to decide his trial venue.
Tallaght Garda Aoife Mannion alleged that the car was first spotted at Cheeverstown Avenue, stopped in traffic, and the driver's face was uncovered. Gardaí attempted to block the vehicle, but it "took off at speed" down Cheeverstown Road and broke a red light.
A patrol car doing 100 km/h could not keep up, and the Nissan Micra "kept pulling away from us".
It was followed to the Fettercairn Ring Road and to Fortunestown Way, where it sped along a bus lane, forcing people on the path to stand back.
As it approached the Tallaght Stadium, it "swerved in and out to avoid a collision on the wrong side of the road."
The car went "inbound on the outbound lane".
It continued on the wrong side as it turned onto the N81 dual carriageway, where it kept driving on the wrong side, including on a slip road.
Garda Mannion told the court that the garda pursuit had to be "stood down" by that stage "because it was too dangerous, there was going to be a fatal collision".
The teen was arrested a day later, and charges followed, along with a recommendation from the DPP for trial on indictment.
The officer agreed with defence counsel Doireann McDonagh that no one was hurt.
The barrister pleaded with Judge Toale to accept jurisdiction, telling the court the boy was then aged 16 and that he had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and had to leave mainstream education.
The court heard he was attending a specialist about his mental health issues, sometimes manifested by impulse control difficulties.
The defence indicated that the case would be contested.
Judge Brendan Toale agreed with the DPP and held it was too serious for the sentencing options in the Children's Court.
He refused jurisdiction, meaning the boy would be tried in the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers. The boy remains on bail and will appear again in December when the prosecution will serve him with a book of evidence and get a return for trial order.
