A man who led Gardai on a 22 kilometre chase through sixteen townlands reaching speeds of up to 160kph has been jailed for four months.
Ryan McVeigh appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with a series of driving offences.
The 20-year-old, who had never appeared in court until this week, was charged with a total of 14 counts of dangerous driving at various locations in Donegal.
Garda Inspector Michael Harrison told the court that McVeigh was with another group of men who were performing manoeuvres.
When approached by Gardai, three cars fled and were pursued by Gardai.
McVeigh, from Doaghbeg, Portsalon took off in his Lexus car and reached speeds of up to 160kph and travelled for 22 kilometres through 16 townlands becoming being stopped and arrested.
Solicitor Frank Dorrian told Letterkenny District Court that his client had “an unhealthy interest in cars.”
Mr Dorrian said his client had no previous convictions and was a hard-working young man who had been working in Australia laying pipes and was keen to return there.
However, Judge Paul Kelly said it was becoming regrettably common that people were coming to Donegal during the International Motor Rally and that standards of safe driving do not apply.
McVeigh faced a total of 14 charges of dangerous driving during the course of the pursuit.
Judge Kelly sentenced McVeigh to four months in jail on four charges of dangerous driving on June 18th this year at various locations in Carrigart with all jail terms to run concurrently.
However, he suspended the final two months of each sentence and also disqualified McVeigh from driving for five years.
He ordered him to also complete the Pro-Social Driving course and to pay a contribution of €250 to the cost of the course.