A teenager hit speeds of more than 200km/h and drove on the wrong side of dual carriageways while leading gardaí on a dangerous Dublin to Laois pursuit, a court has heard.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, is facing charges of endangerment of life, using a stolen car and 13 counts of dangerous driving on the evening of April 21st last when he drove “back and forth” across all four lanes of the M50.
The accused faced a preliminary hearing at the Dublin Children’s Court to determine his trial venue.
Judge Paul Kelly held that the case was too serious for the Children’s Court to accept jurisdiction and agreed with the Director of Public Prosecutions that it must proceed to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers.
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“It’s an absolute miracle no one was killed or seriously harmed,” he said.
Defence solicitor Brian Keenan said the boy intends to plead guilty. The youth must appear again later this month to prepare a signed plea.
Garda Aaron Webb outlined the evidence and played video footage, mainly filmed by squad car dashboard cameras.
He said the vehicle was stolen in Kilkenny within the previous 24 hours and was detected at the Chapelizod bypass in Dublin at about 7pm on Easter Monday.
Footage showed it speeding at 127km/h as it approached and passed the Criminal Courts of Justice on the wrong side of the road and proceeded to Parkgate Street.
He turned on to the Luas tracks near the quays and drove past Heuston Station. He accelerated to 160km/h on the N4 and then drove on to the M50, forcing another car on to the hard shoulder.
Between junctions seven and nine, the teen went back and forth across all four lanes of the motorway.
The court heard he was travelling at 156km/h, exceeding the 50km/h limit, as he steered on to the N7 at Citywest and almost collided with two other cars.
Garda Webb said the boy, who had two teenage passengers, drove across four lanes and then collided with a van with a “side swipe” while doing 160km/h at Rathcoole. The van driver suffered whiplash and went to hospital.
The court heard the boy continued driving the badly damaged Toyota Corolla and reached 203km/h when he suffered a blowout. However, he kept driving, even with one tyre “disintegrated”, and was clocked at 177km/h.
The court heard that when he passed Kildare Village, he moved over on to the wrong side of the N7 and continued driving that way for 12 minutes, covering 21km against the flow of traffic.
Garda units were “shadowing” him on the correct lanes. Near junction 15 in Co Laois, gardaí deployed a stinger device to deflate the stolen car’s tyres. It continued driving at speed, with video footage capturing sparks coming from the vehicle, which then came to a halt.
A Garda Armed Support Unit joined the pursuit.
He had no prior convictions and claimed in court he was pepper-sprayed after the car stopped and there was a “stand-off” with gardaí.
His solicitor said the teenager, who was accompanied to court by family, suffered trauma in his childhood, was affected by a bereavement at a young age and had attended mental health services.
Mr Keenan said the boy realised he could have lost his life and that of others during the pursuit.
The court heard he made admissions after his arrest and said he was sorry for putting people’s lives at risk.
