Learner driver who led Gardaí on high-speed chase given suspended sentence

By Eimear Dodd

An unaccompanied learner driver who led Gardaí on a 15-minute high-speed pursuit in a “moment of madness” has been disqualified from driving for three years and told to make a €2,000 contribution to Spinal Injuries Ireland.

Devidas Pilypas (22) pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment and one of dangerous driving on August 26, 2024.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that gardai in an unmarked patrol car became aware of a black Audi swerving between lanes and undertaking them.

They switched on their blue lights and indicated for the Audi to pull over, but Pilypas instead increased his speed.

A few minutes later, the car stopped momentarily on the Old Bawn Road. One garda approached the car, and when he did, Pilypas took off at speed. The garda car had to take evasive action to avoid being struck.

The court was told that there was a 15-minute pursuit across local and national roads and the M50, during which Pilypas often drove at excessive speed and oncoming cars were forced to take evasive action.

On the Firhouse Road near the entrance to Dodder Valley Park, a woman crossing the road at a green pedestrian light had to jump onto the footpath to avoid being struck as Pilypas did not slow down.

He also joined the M50 southbound, cutting across three lanes of traffic. At the Junction 12 exit, he appeared to be taking the off-ramp, but then swerved back onto the motorway, causing a truck to brake aggressively.

At junction 12 northbound, he drove at another road user, forcing them to mount a footpath to avoid a collision.

The court was told the pursuit came to an end on the Ballycullen Road after a stinger was used.

Pilypas of St Maelruaus Park, Dublin, was initially uncooperative and refused to be handcuffed. Gardai deployed pepper spray, and he was arrested.

He was fully co-operative at the Garda station and made full admissions when interviewed. When asked by gardai if he believed he was in full control of the car, he replied “about 50 per cent”.

He told gardai he stopped on the Old Bawn Road as “something clicked in my head”.

He apologised, saying “I don’t know what was going on in my head, it’s all blurry.”

He said the passenger in the car told him to stop, but “I couldn’t”.

Pilypas has no previous convictions and has not come to other Garda attention. He had a provisional licence and was unaccompanied by a fully qualified driver. The tax on the car had also expired.

Defence counsel put to the investigating garda that his instructions are that something clicked in Pilypas’s head and he just stopped. The garda replied that he believed a stinger was used, but that Pilypas was going to stop either way as the vehicle was no longer roadworthy.

He also accepted that Pilypas and his peer group have not come to other garda attention and that his family are pro-social.

The garda agreed that Pilypas was co-operative at the garda station, saying that he told him that he panicked. “I believe it was a moment of madness which lasted 15 minutes,” the garda said, adding that in his view, it may also have been related to Pilypas driving on a provisional licence and the car’s tax being expired.

It was further accepted that Pilypas has not driven since this incident and voluntarily surrendered his provisional licence to gardai.

The Garda said Pilypas was a “nice young man” and that he’d met the defendant’s father who, “told him that he would have to face the music, so he did”.

He told Judge Elma Sheahan that he was surprised that Pilypas found himself in this situation and he did not expect to see him back before the courts.

Defence counsel asked the court to take into account his client’s early guilty plea, acceptance of full responsibility and the contents of a probation report.

He said his instructions are that Pilypas panicked and it was a “moment of madness”.

Pilypas has worked consistently since completing the Leaving Certificate. Payslips handed to the court showed that he works long hours, counsel said.

Defence counsel submitted that this offence ordinarily requires a custodial sentence, but he asked the court to consider not imposing that immediately in light of the mitigation and his client’s background.

He noted that the offence of dangerous driving carries a mandatory driving disqualification of two years and asked the court not to extend it as Pilypas will need to be able to drive for work in the future.

Imposing sentence today/yesterday (FRI), Judge Sheahan said this was “serious offending”.

She noted that society has recently been made aware how devastating this type of offending can be and that Pilypas’s actions had put innocent people at risk.

The judge noted that it is “tempting to consider only the seriousness of the offending and not the circumstances of an accused person”, when one hears of this type of offending.

She said the court was “impressed” by the Garda’s view of Pilypas, describing it as “so positive”.

She said it was aggravating that pedestrians and drivers were put in harm.

The judge noted Pilypas is assessed at low risk of re-offending and “more importantly, an experienced Garda believes this was a moment of madness, not to be repeated, caused by the fact that the accused was an unaccompanied driver with no tax”.

Judge Sheahan said normally this type of offending would attract an immediate custodial sentence, but the court’s view was that there was evidence that rehabilitation was under way.

She imposed a two-year sentence, suspended in full for two years on strict conditions, including that Pilypas makes a contribution of €2,000 within six months to Spinal Injuries Ireland.

The judge also handed Pilypas a three-year driving disqualification.