A MAN who was disqualified from driving when he drove a car onto a footpath, forcing pedestrians to jump for safety, was jailed for four years and eight months with the final 12 months suspended.
Luke Hayes (24), with an address at Downey Street, Killalee, Garryowen, Limerick, received a concurrent two-year prison sentence for driving a scrambler motorbike into another male during an earlier separate incident.
Mr Hayes was given two further four-month concurrent sentences for dangerous driving and driving without insurance or a licence.
His sentencing hearing, held at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court, heard Hayes was being pursued by Gardaí when he mounted a footpath, forcing a woman and a child to jump out of the way for safety.
Hayes pleaded guilty to all of the charges, said prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by State Solicitor Padraig Mawe, assisted in evidence by Garda Stephen McEntegart.
Hayes admitted four counts of endangerment, 14 counts of dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving without a driving licence, on May 6, 2023.
The court heard that Gardaí observed Hayes behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf at Hyde Road, Limerick City, at 4.38pm on the afternoon.
When Gardaí attempted to speak to Hayes, he drove off at speed, driving through a red traffic light.
Gardaí pursued Hayes who then overtook several cars at speed.
Mr O’Sullivan said that when Hayes encountered two Garda cars blocking his route, he drove onto a footpath at the junction of Parnell Street and Roches Street.
Gardaí stood down their pursuit as they deemed it was “too dangerous to continue following” Hayes.
When Hayes spotted Gardaí near his home, later on the same day, he drove onto another footpath near to where children played on a green area.
Gardaí again stood down their pursuit out of their concerns for the safety of the public.
Hayes was later apprehended by Gardaí and admitted his driving had been reckless and could have caused members of the public “serious injury or death”, said Mr O’Sullivan,
Judge Colin Daly said Hayes was lucky he didn’t seriously injure the public, Gardaí, or himself. He said Hayes’ driving had been “harmful to city life” and fuelled fear in those who witnessed it.
Hayes drove in a “most dangerous way”, showing a “callous disregard for the safety of others”, said the judge.
The court heard that Hayes also pleaded guilty to endangerment when he intentionally twice drove the front wheel of a scrambler motorbike into another male at Ellen Street, Limerick, on January 27, 2023.
Judge Daly said that, in his view, Hayes “used the scrambler as a weapon”.
Hayes’ barrister, Amy Nix, told the court that Hayes apologised for his actions.
Ms Nix explained Hayes is the father of two young children and that he suffers with anxiety and depression and was taking steps to distance himself from a “negative peer group”.
In respect of fleeing Gardaí in May 2023, Ms Nix argued Hayes “panicked” because he thought somebody was attempting to get into his car.
In respect of the scrambler incident, Ms Nix argued that as the motorbike had not belonged to her client, he had not been used to driving it, and he apologised to the injured party and compensated him for the loss of a kebab which fell on the ground during the collision.
Hayes was also banned from driving for five years from the date of his prison release.
– Court Reporting Scheme