Dangerous driver’s €500 token of remorse to go to Ukrainian refugee appeal

By Fiona Ferguson

A dangerous driver’s €500 token of remorse will go to aid Ukrainian refugees via the Irish Redcross Crisis Appeal.

Karl Cummins (29) was the driver of a car that forced a garda patrol car to take evasive action after he came at them at speed when they blocked his car’s path in 2017.

Cummins, of Drumcairn Avenue, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving at Fettercairn Ring Road, Tallaght on July 21, 2017.

He has 65 previous convictions including 15 for dangerous driving. He was banned from driving for 16 years in 2015.

The court heard Cummins has since turned his life around and he brought €500 to offer to the court as a token of remorse at his sentencing hearing yesterday.

Investigating officer Detective Garda David Jennings suggested to the court that the money could go to help the situation in Ukraine after the judge asked him to nominate a charity.

Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case until June 16 for a community service report and ordered the money be paid over to the Red Cross campaign for the assistance of refugees.

During the sentence hearing, Det Gda Jennings told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, that gardai began a pursuit of a car driving at high speed in Tallaght.

He said he saw the car coming back towards the patrol car and gardai moved to block the vehicle’s path.

He said the car came at the patrol car at speed and they had to manoeuvre to avoid a collision.

The car swerved at the last minute and Det Gda Jennings recognised the driver as Cummins.

He said gardai called off the pursuit and made the decision to stop for fear of endangering other road users.

Det Gda Jennings said Cummins had not been on the garda radar since 2017 and had been keeping his head down.

Sarah Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending, said her client was finally at a stage of his life where he was seeing sense.

She said he was a very committed father, engaged in voluntary work in his community and was getting his life together. She said he had saved €500 as a token of remorse.

She said the offending was serious but he has changed his ways.

She said he was willing to give back to the community and do community service.