Teen (19) was driving with eight people on car during Donegal rally weekend, court hears

Stephen Maguire

A young man who had eight people on the roof and bonnet of his car while he was driving in Co Donegal has been ordered to make a €750 donation to charity.

Brian Mordaunt appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with dangerous driving during the weekend of the Donegal International Rally on June 21st, 2024.

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that a number of videos emerged on Snapchat of the bizarre incident.

Gardaí became aware of the incident and stopped Mordaunt in his car at a later stage.

The 19-year-old, who has no previous convictions, made full admissions and was apologetic to gardaí, the court was told.

Pictures of the car with the eight people hanging out of it were handed into court.

Solicitor for the accused, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said his client's family are 'distraught' after the incident.

Mordaunt, who is from Clerihan, Clonmel in Co Tipperary, is an apprentice electrician.

He was in Co Donegal for the Donegal International Rally when the incident occurred at Pearse Road on June 21st last year.

Mr Gallagher said he had viewed the videos and said it was difficult to know if Mordaunt's car was actually moving or not and it certainly was not driving at any speed.

He suggested the case was at the lower end of the dangerous driving levels and that his client does realise that what he did was stupid and that he had had full and frank conversations with his family about the matter.

The solicitor added that the accused man's family are distraught at what has happened and said it was inexcusable.

"It is certainly not a situation where the family are taking this lightly," added Mr Gallagher.

Replying, Sergeant Collins said the evidence was that the car was certainly moving but not at any great speed.

Judge Ciaran Liddy said he would adjourn the case until September 15th to allow Mordaunt to make a donation of €750 to Cara House and pay a fine of €250.

If that is done, he said he will consider reducing the charge to one of careless driving and will also consider not disqualifying the accused.