Driver who sped from gardai with door open is jailed

Uninsured Bobby Hemedi (28) handed the officer a piece of paper then took off in a moment of madness but lost control of the car, a court heard.

Judge David McHugh called it an "outrageous escapade" and banned him from driving for 12 years. Hemedi, from Church Road, Mulhuddart, Co Dublin, was also fined €500.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous and uninsured driving.

Hemedi has since lodged an appeal against the severity of the sentence.

Blanchardstown District Court heard a garda stopped the accused driving a Volkswagen Golf at a checkpoint in Church Road at 12.50am on January 29.

The officer asked him to provide proof of insurance and Hemedi handed him a piece of paper through the open door, before driving off at speed.

Spinning

The door was still ajar and the garda reacted quickly to avoid being hit. Hemedi spun across a roundabout, abandoned the car and ran off.

However, he was caught after a brief chase on foot.

The accused had 35 previous convictions, the court heard.

He was offering no excuse but had "panicked and fled" because he was uninsured, his lawyer said.

Father-of-one Hemedi works for a large pub chain.

Judge McHugh asked his solicitor why he had sped off.

"I don't know if there is an answer for that other than stupidity and he is an intelligent person, so it's a difficult question to answer," the accused's lawyer replied.

"As far as I am concerned, this is absolute lunacy," said Judge McHugh.

He said Hemedi had put an officer in jeopardy through his behaviour, forcing the garda to jump clear.

"We must be thankful that this man did not injure anybody in this escapade, outrageous as it was," he added.