A garda had to jump out of the path of a stolen car which was driven at high speed for several miles with two burst tyres before the driver was arrested in a cul-de-sac, a jury in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told yesterday.
The driver and a passenger jumped out of the stolen Audi before it stopped in O'Hogan Road, Ballyfermot, the court heard. The driver was arrested while trying to scale a wall.
Mr Ian Dutton (36), of Greenfort Lawn, Clondalkin, has pleaded not guilty to the unauthorised use of a car on November 23rd, 1994, and to two further charges of maliciously damaging the car and also damaging a Garda car on the same date
Det Sgt Gerard Roche told the court he sighted the red Audi and another stolen car, a Peugeot, driving one behind the other in the Kilmacud area at about 2.15 a.m. on November 23rd, 1994. He was driving a patrol car. Replying to Mr Adrian Mannering, prosecuting, he said the Audi and Peugeot passed out his car at speed and went through red lights at Taney Road. He pursued them and saw the Audi overtake the Peugeot, which then had a collision. When he stopped and began to cross the road to the scene of the collision he heard a "revving" noise, and the Audi returned towards him at high speed. He jumped out of its path just in time. Det Sgt Roche said that shortly afterwards in Dundrum Garda station he recognised the Audi driver, who was taken in as a prisoner by other gardai. He was the accused. Garda Liam Farrell said he was driving the Dundrum patrol car and pursued the Audi all the way to Ballyfermot, where he assisted in the arrest of the accused. Sparks and bits of rubber were flying from the Audi, the two front tyres of which were burst.
The Donnybrook patrol car was just ahead of him in the pursuit, and he saw the Audi stop at a T-junction in Brookfield Road and reverse into the Donnybrook car before speeding off again. Garda Farrell told defence counsel, Mr Paul Carroll, in cross-examination, that the driver of the Audi was Mr Dutton.
There was nobody else at the scene except the gardai. The hearing continues before Judge Pat McCartan.