Andrew Carey
A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest and sentence of a man who terrified and endangered walkers, drivers and fellow road users while on a high speed driving rampage this Summer.
Christopher Curtin, with an address at Salvia Court, Limerick, was stopped by gardai near the Coonagh Toll plaza on the Limerick to Shannon motorway on June 5 last.
Garda Martin Tierney of the Divisional Traffic Corp based at Henry Street, had a observed a car driven by Curtin speeding at the exit to the Limerick Tunnel.
A Black 2000 Tipperary registered Volkswagen Passat was signalled to stop after the vehicle was clocked at 128km/h in a 80km/h zone.
Garda Tierney told the court that he approached the car and notified the driver of his detection speed, a lawful demand was made for driving documents.
20-year-old Curtin gave a name of Jamie Curtin from O’Malley Park to the garda and while the details were being checked, the driver sped off crossing lanes of traffic and a grass margin.
A pursuit ensued as Garda Tierney gave chase.
Curtin drove the Passat through the toll booth barrier smashing the windscreen of the car.
The court heard that a passenger in the car attempted to kick out the broken and shattered windscreen as the car hit speeds of up to 180km/h undertaking cars on the hard shoulder of the dual carriage way.
The car turned off at the Ballymorris exit and drove down the narrow roads at over 120km/h narrowly missing two female walkers with a buggy “by inches”.
Curtin then pulled into a private house and sped around the home where two small children, aged two and four, were in their garden playing. The court heard that he sped out the driveway again with stones and debris “flying around and again narrowly missed causing injury”.
Judge O’Kelly further heard that Curtin drove back the way he came on the narrow roads at similarly excessive speeds but heard that Garda Tierney notified the control base at Henry Street garda station that he was standing down his pursuit in the interest of public safety such was the manner of Curtin’s driving.
An alert was put out to all cars in the are and garda Tierney returned to speak with the two female walkers on the road and the mother of the two children in the house.
The court heard that all parties were terrified and visibly shaken by the events that had just unfolded on the quiet country roads.
Judge O’Kelly heard that gardai stopped another car with a number of men and garda Tierney arrived and identified Curtin as one of the passengers.
He was arrested and detained at Henry Street garda station.
Having been charged with the driving offences, Curtin was bailed and ordered to return before the court last week, however he failed to turn up and Judge O’Kelly issued a warrant for his arrest and sentence.
The court heard that Curtin has 37 previous convictions including escaping from custody, burglary, disqualifications from driving, possession of drugs and the unlawful taking of cars.
Judge O’Kelly said that it was an “outrageous” performance of driving “where he exposed totally innocent persons to danger”.
As he attempted to escape gardai, Judge O’Kelly said that Curtin’s actions could have had “numerous other possible accidents as he drove furiously at speeds over 180km/h”.
As judge O’Kelly issued the bench warrant for Curtin’s arrest, Garda Martin Tierney was praised for his “excellent presence of mind to abandon the chase that may have further endangered pedestrians”.
Curtin is pictured above after he was rearrested when he had escaped from custody earlier last year. He had been on the run for a number of days after he slipped his handcuffs at the gates of Limerick prison.
