Judge Paul Kelly
A JUDGE today issued a stark warning to rally fans who come to County Donegal to watch events and perform dangerous manoeuvres.
Judge Paul Kelly told a rally fan at Letterkenny District Court today that the doughnuts he performed at a petrol station forecourt would “cost you an awful lot of money.”
Garda Derek Connaughton told the court how he and a colleague were patrolling in an unmarked car at 10pm on the evening of June 21 past, the first day of this year’s Donegal International Rally.
They were near a garage forecourt at Bonagee, Letterkenny, when they observed a Ford Sierra do two 360-degree doughnuts.
Friends of the driver, Darren McCloskey, were standing back and watching, said the garda.
“Some of his colleagues were egging him on,” said Garda Connaughton.
When McCloskey was questioned he was “remorseful for his actions” said the garda.
Solicitor Kieran Dillon, defending, said his client had “a rush of blood to the head.”
McCloskey he said, was a hard-working 22-year-old man with no previous convictions.
The driver, from Kildoag Road, Kildoag, County Derry, was also a carer for his 87-year-old aunt and held a full-time job at a saw mills.
“I have little tolerance for that type of driving,” Judge Kelly told McCloskey.
“I see it all too frequently where people come to Letterkenny to watch the Donegal rally and these people try to do the sort of things they see the experts do.”
He said it was “thankful” that no danger was posed to anyone at the time.
Judge Kelly ordered McCloskey to make a €300 donation to the Dawnbreakers programme, which provides driver behaviour courses for young motorists.
“If you are back here again, you won’t get that sort of leniency,” said Judge Kelly,