Surveyor who had drank sped from gardaí and crashed into car full of women

A quantity surveyor who drank five drinks before fleeing from gardaí, going the wrong way around roundabouts and crashing into a car with five young women in it has escaped going to jail.

James Reilly appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal facing five charges of dangerous driving and endangerment, in what Judge Paul Kelly described as “an extraordinary incident”.

The court heard Reilly had been attending the Donegal International Rally with friends on June 17th last year.

The 25-year-old was spotted by gardaí driving his Seat Leon leaving Ballyraine in Letterkenny, who followed when Reilly tried to escape. He overtook vehicles at speed, went the wrong way around two roundabouts, before colliding head-on with another car when on the wrong side of the road.

The car, which contained five young women, was damaged, and at least one woman was injured.

Reilly, with an address at Darkley Road, Co Armagh, but who now lives in Co Monaghan, fled from his car. Garda Michael Kilcoyne gave chase and eventually caught him and arrested him.

Reilly failed to provide a specimen of breath when arrested and taken to Letterkenny Garda station.

A probation report said Reilly had no previous convictions, and had he accepted responsibility for his actions.

Judge Paul Kelly sentenced Reilly to three months in prison, but suspended the jail term for three years. He also disqualified him from driving for a total of four years, but agreed to postpone the ban until March 19th next.

He also struck out a number of other charges.