Gardai found a man sipping a can of beer after the car in which he was a passenger crashed after a high-speed chase.
Letterkenny court.
The car crashed into a telegraph pole after it has reached speeds in excess of 140kph outside Letterkenny.
Garda Sean McDaid told Letterkenny District Court he went to investigate reports of two men who were stealing diesel from cars at Ballymacool Woods.
When they went to investigate they came across Tommy Connors driving past them.
They followed him and when they activated their sirens and flashing lights he increased his speed in excess of 140kmh on narrow roads.
The car was going that fast that sparks were coming from it when it hit bumps on the road, the court heard.
“He took a number of corners blind and if anything was coming the other way there would have ben a head-on collision,” said Garda McDaid.
The Gardai eventually lost the Volkswagen Passat car they were pursuing but then noticed a telegraph pole in the middle of a road and the car crashed into a ditch.
“We ran up to the crashed car and the driver’s door was open. Danny Connors was in the passenger seat sipping a can of beer with both airbags deployed. We searched the area but couldn’t find Tommy Connors.
Tommy Connors, 31, of Canal Road, Letterkenny, denied being the driver of the car on March 2nd, last year.
He gave evidence that he had never driven in his life and that he was on disability benefit as he suffered from depression.
However Judge Paul Kelly said he was satisfied from the Garda evidence that Connors was driving the car.
Connors was charged with driving without insurance, dangerous driving, having no insurance and being involve din a hit and run at Kirkstown, Letterkenny.
Garda Inspector David Kelly revealed the accused had 23 previous convictions including one for the unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle.
Judge Paul Kelly ordered a probation report on Tommy Connors and adjourned the case until September 15th.