Young driver (25) caught doing doughnuts by gardaí before leading them on chase

Stephen Maguire

A young driver caught doing doughnuts before "fishtailing" in front of gardaí and trying to outrun them by heading for the border to escape has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Ben Murray (25) appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with dangerous driving.

The court heard that Murray was attending his first Donegal International Rally in June 2024.

Gardaí had called to Drumbarnett, Manorcunningham, after complaints from the public that the road had been blocked and a number of cars were doing doughnuts just before midnight.

When gardaí arrived, they observed a Lexus is200 performing doughnuts and activated their blue lights.

The driver of the car then fishtailed in front of the patrol car forcing gardaí to reverse their patrol vehicle to avoid being hit.

The Lexus sped off but was apprehended in the early hours of the following morning heading for the border.

The driver, Ben Murray, was arrested and was apologetic to gardaí.

His solicitor, Patsy Gallagher, said Murray was attending his first rally and was "showing off for friends."

He had made admissions and the car was lifted and his father and uncle had to come and collect the student, added the solicitor.

Judge Ciaran Liddy asked the court if Murray, of Carlton Drive, Strabane, Co Tyrone, had any previous convictions.

Sergeant Jim Collins said he had one previous conviction for drug driving and had been disqualified for one year.

Judge Liddy noted that Murray was only back on the road for five months when this incident occurred.

"This man is looking at a jail sentence," said the judge.

Mr Gallagher said he was asking the court to take a more diplomatic approach adding it was "one stupid mistake."

His client has now adopted a serious attitude to the incident and “he should have acted more appropriately”, he added.

Mr Gallagher said that there was an impression given that Murray was “aiming for the border”, but told the court that it was not an evasive situation.

“There was no chase or otherwise,” he said, adding that the car has been moved on.

He said Murray is doing a traineeship for cranes and has his preliminary tests done and planned to go to Scandinavia to finish that process.

Mr Gallagher asked the court to consider reducing the charge to one of careless driving and to consider Murray’s early plea.

“The shock of being here has had a very awakening effect on him,” Mr Gallagher said.

Judge Ciaran Liddy said the road was blocked deliberately to “facilitate boy racer activity involving this man performing a fishtail manoeuvre on the public highway”. Judge Liddy noted that a Garda patrol car had to take evasive action to avoid being struck and that Murray proceeded to drive towards Derry.

He said Murray was only just back on the road having concluded a driving ban for drink-driving only six months previously.

Judge Liddy said: “It is clear that he learned very little from his experience in court on the previous occasion.”

Judge Liddy said that only for Murray having been “well advised” to plead guilty he would be imposing an immediate custodial sentence.

Murray was handed a six-month prison sentence that was suspended for two years. Murray was also disqualified from driving for two years and fined €300.