Limerick-based garda ‘drew firearm’ during high speed pursuit
A MOTORIST who rammed two garda cars during a high-speed pursuit has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.
Jamie Kelly, aged 27, whose most-recent address is at Coolageela East, Kanturk, County Cork pleaded guilty to multiple charges including two of endangerment.
During a sentencing hearing, Garda Aidan O’Riordan said the pursuit began at around 11am on April 18, 2017 when gardai encountered a Ford Mondeo car which had been stolen near Buttevant the previous day.
The pursuit, he said, started at Patrick Street and continued through the city and out to Ballysheedy.
Limerick Circuit Court was told the defendant struck a number of parked vehicles and that he drove at speed the wrong way down a one-way street during the incident.
Garda O’Riordan said a detective “drew his firearm” after the Mondeo collided with an unmarked patrol car at Penneywell Road and began to reverse at the vehicle following the impact.
He drove off and, later, at Rathuird, Ballysheedy, two other gardai had to “jump over a wall” as the Mondeo attempted to pass a marked patrol car which was blocking the road.
The stolen car was subsequently located burned-out in North Cork and Mr Kelly, who has more than 100 previous convictions, was arrested three weeks later.
While he initially denied driving the Mondeo, he did make admissions telling gardai he was “f***** off his head” on drugs.
Judge Patrick Meghan imposed a 39-month prison sentence, suspending the final nine months.
A six-year driving ban was also handed down.