By Isabel Hayes
A teenager who led Gardaí on a high-speed pursuit through Dublin on a busy morning, breaking red lights and endangering road users, has been jailed for two and a half years.
The boy was just 16 when he drove the Nissan Micra Go Car, which had been stolen a couple of days previously, and drove it at speed through Tallaght in November 2023.
The now 19-year-old Dubliner, who can’t be named as he was a minor when he committed the offence, pleaded guilty to unauthorised use of a motor vehicle and dangerous driving as well as driving without a licence and insurance on November 21, 2023. He has 20 previous convictions.
Garda Aoife Mannion told Simon Donagh BL, prosecuting, that she was on patrol around 10am on the day in question when they saw a car driving erratically and saw that it had been reported stolen. A pursuit ensued, with the teenager driving the car at 80km/hr in a 50km/hr zone.
He broke a number of red lights, causing pedestrians and construction workers to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. He drove down the wrong side of a carriageway and undertook cars at speed.
Gardaí made the decision to call off the pursuit for safety reasons and the boy was arrested at his home address the following day.
He told Gardaí: “You can’t arrest me for that; you didn’t catch me driving.”
Go Car company reported that €1,500 worth of damage was caused to the car. The court heard it is not suggested that the teenager stole it.
Eoin Lawlor SC, defending, said his client had a dysfunctional upbringing. A psychology report and a letter from his grandfather were handed into court. He is in custody since February 2025 and has an offer of a mechanic apprenticeship upon his release.
Sentencing him, Judge Martin Nolan noted the boy did well while in Oberstown and loved it there. He noted he was very young at the time of the offence, is now 19 and has the offer of an apprenticeship.
He sentenced him to three years and suspended the final six months on a number of conditions. He disqualified him from driving for a period of six years.