A MAN who drove at speed into two Garda cars, in what a judge described as “a nightmare escapade”, has been given a three-year prison sentence and banned from driving for 10 years.
Ronan Deenihan (24), Kilmaniheen East, Knocknagashel, had no recollection of the events which took place over an area of 50 miles in Castleisland and Knocknagashel, Co Kerry, and Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick.
The former farm worker, now unemployed, pleaded guilty at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court to 13 charges. These included two counts of reckless endangerment involving the ramming of two patrol cars, injuring two Tralee gardaí, Sgt Brendan Long and Garda Martin Tierney.
Deenihan also admitted assaulting Garda Tierney causing him harm. The garda was out of work for 25 days and had to receive physiotherapy for five months as a result of the assault he received while trying to arrest Deenihan in a farmyard when he finally came to a stop.
Tom Rice, prosecuting, outlined how Deenihan came to the attention of gardaí after a member of the public phoned at 4am and Tralee gardaí went to the Clash roundabout at the edge of town.
Members of the public were forced to take evasive action on the public highways of north Kerry and west Limerick from 4.10am to 5.05am on March 16th, 2008. The Garda cars rammed by Deenihan sustained damage of about €16,000.
The court heard how he had a number of previous convictions, including driving at pedestrians, one of whom was on crutches.
In his interview with gardaí, Deenihan could not recall how much he had drunk or any of the events. He said he probably had the same as most Saturday nights which was “seven or eight pint bottles of cider and five or six vodkas and Red Bull”.
Deenihan would not kill intentionally, but “if this man isn’t stopped, someone will die”, Judge Joe Matthews said to Brian McInerney, defending. He noted that no steps had been taken during the two years since the incident to tackle the problem of alcohol abuse.
Handing down two concurrent three-year sentences for “the most serious offences of endangerment”, the judge said he would suspend one year on condition that Deenihan entered into a bond with the prison governor to enter an alcohol programme for a year.
The judge singled out the gardaí for their bravery, saying they were a shining example to the commitment to protect and serve their community.