Four month suspended sentence for dangerous driver who drove at a patrol car

By Fiona Ferguson and Sonya McLean

A dangerous driver who forced a garda patrol car to take evasive action when he drove at the car at speed has been given a four-month suspended sentence.

Karl Cummins (29) was the driver of a car that forced the 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 during a sentence hearing last March that Cummins has since turned his life around and he brought €500 to offer to the court as a token of remorse.

That €500 went to aid Ukrainian refugees via the Irish Redcross Crisis Appeal following a suggestion by investigating officer Detective Garda David Jennings after the judge asked him to nominate a charity.

Judge Melanie Greally had adjourned the case having heard the evidence and ordered a community service report.

Today she imposed a four-month sentence which she suspended in full on condition that he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months.

She also disqualified Cummins from driving for eight years.

Det Gda Jennings told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, at the previous hearing that gardaí 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 gardaí 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 gardaí 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 SC, 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.