Driver who prevented prostitute leaving car avoids jail
Conor O'Meara: high-speed chase
A father of one who prevented a prostitute getting out of his car and then led gardai on a high-speed chase has avoided a jail term.
Conor O'Meara (24) had been drinking heavily when he picked up a prostitute near Leeson Street in Dublin. But when she tried to get out of the car, he thought she had taken his wallet and refused to let her out.
He first pulled her back into the vehicle by her scarf and continued to drive with his hand around her neck making it difficult for her to breathe.
He was then involved in a prolonged garda pursuit after the woman managed to get out of the car when it stopped at a red light. He initially pulled in when the gardai ordered him to but then drove off at speed.
Wrong
O'Meara broke a number of red lights, overtook other cars when it wasn't safe to do so and drove on the wrong side of the road, as he drove from Grand Parade in the city centre, through Rathmines, Rathfarnham and Templeogue.
He then drove onto the M50 after colliding with a patrol car minutes beforehand. O'Meara continued driving on the motorway at over 160kmh and at one stage reached 180kmh.
His black Ford Focus was eventually brought to a stop when gardai threw out a 'stinger' device.
O'Meara, of Beverly Drive, Rathfarnham, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to false imprisonment, endangerment, dangerous driving and failing to give a blood sample on Halloween night, 2010.
He has no previous convictions.
Judge Martin Nolan sentenced O'Meara to five years, which he suspended in full on condition that he hands over €8,000 to the prostitute within six months. He already had €4,000 in court as a token of his remorse.
He accepted that O'Meara had drunk "a huge" amount of alcohol that night and was intoxicated.
Mr O'Meara, who has an 18-month-old child, was also banned from driving for 3 years.
- Sonya McLean and James Martin
Irish Independent
