Man on temporary release from prison tried to reverse into garda van three times
A circuit court judge has said a man on temporary release from prison who attempted to reverse into a garda van three times behaved like 'an utter and complete menace'.
Judge Eoin Garavan sentenced Oisín O'Laoi (25) to four years in jail after he pleaded guilty to criminal damage, dangerous driving and driving without a license or insurance while on temporary release from a low-security prison.
O'Laoi, of Cregg, Leitir Mealláin, County Galway, made full admissions to the offences after being arrested with assistance from the Armed Support Unit.
The court heard that he was on temporary release from Loughan House prison when he went binge drinking on New Year's Eve 2023.
O'Laoi, who has 71 previous convictions and a long history of alcohol misuse, consumed Jack Daniels whiskey and several vodkas before driving off in an Opel Insignia, the court heard.
At approximately 5am on January 1, 2024, Garda Padraic O'Connor was driving a garda patrol van with Garda Darragh Lyons when he saw O'Laoi driving on the Newport Road in Westport.
O'Laoi, who was the sole occupant of the car, drove through a red light on the South Mall before turning left onto Castlebar Street and right onto Distillery Road, through another set of traffic lights, before turning left onto Altamount Street before heading out the Ballinrobe Road.
He failed to stop when Gda O'Connor activated the blue lights on the patrol van, and a chase ensued during which O'Laoi drove on the wrong side of the road through six different town lands.
On two occasions, O'Laoi waited for the patrol van to catch up to him before attempting to reverse into it.
When Gda O'Connor and Gda Lyons lost sight of the van at Moate, Killawalla, Garda Paul Deeley followed O'Laoi, who again tried to reverse into the pursuing garda vehicle.
O'Laoi drove into Ashwood estate and ran into his girlfriend's house. Gardaí seized his vehicle and requested the assistance of the Armed Support Unit.
O'Laoi had to be pepper sprayed while being arrested before gardaí conveyed him to Westport Garda Station.
While being interviewed by gardaí, the 25-year-year old admitted to drinking on the night and that he was not insured to drive the vehicle.
Tuesday's sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court heard that O'Laoi received his first driving disqualification when he was 17. He was disqualified from driving for six years by Galway Circuit Court in 2019 and received a second six-year disqualification in 2021.
When told he could request the services of a solicitor, O'Laoi replied: 'I don't need one. I f**ked up.'
Defending barrister Mark Ryan, BL, acting under instruction from solicitor Gary Mulchrone, said his client was living in Westport where he works as a general operative and groundsman. He is currently in a relationship and has a five-month-old daughter and three other children.
Mr Ryan told the court that his client was inclined to drink heavily whenever he does consume alcohol. O'Laoi is currently on medication to alleviate his alcohol cravings and had attended Cuan Mhuire addiction treatment centre in County Galway.
'He is endeavouring to deal with his addictions issue in the best possible way. It continues to be a struggle,' said Mr Ryan.
Citing his probation report, Mr Ryan said his client understands the danger he caused to gardaí and that he has to address his addiction.
'When he is sober, these issues don't tend to arise,' said Mr Ryan.
He said O'Laoi had apologised to gardaí for his actions and had shown 'genuine empathy and insight'. Mr Ryan requested that the judge be as lenient as possible with sentencing to allow O'Laoi to address his recovery from addiction.
O'Laoi had been being granted temporary release from Loughan House low-security prison on October 8. His probation report found him to be at moderate risk of reoffending. His previous convictions include producing a knife, public order offences and 12 convictions for driving without insurance.
The court was told that O'Laoi had been under the attention of the probation services since he was 16 years old.
Judge Garavan noted O'Laoi's history with alcohol and his early guilty plea but said he had no choice but to impose a custodial sentence for what he labelled 'appalling egregious behaviour'.
He imposed a five-year headline sentence, which he reduced to four years on account of mitigating factors, suspending the final year of the sentence for three years.
Judge Garavan imposed another one-year sentence to run concurrently and ordered that he be supervised by the probation services for the first year of his three-year suspension.
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