A man who revved up his engine and injured a Garda after driving his car at him has escaped going to jail.
Levi McGlinchey was spotted by Gardai acting suspiciously behind the wheel of a car at Grahamsland, Castlefin.
Garda Rory McGowan said he saw McGlinchey with three people in the car with the lights on and the engine running.
However, when he went to investigate, the lights on the car were switched off.
Garda McGowan went to chat with McGlinchey, now aged 21, but he switched his lights back on, reversed a number of feet, revved up his engine and drove directly at the Garda.
Garda McGowan told Letterkenny District Court he was forced to jump out of the way of the Peugeot car but was struck on the right arm and right leg.
“I raised my arm and shouted at him to stop but he continued towards me. I jumped out of the way but he struck me on my lower right arm and lower right leg,” he said.
Garda McGowan said he was sore for a number of days after the collision which happened on August 9th, 2015 but thankfully did not need hospital attention.
Gardai pursued the car bering driven by McGlinchey but it managed to escape across the border into Northern Ireland.
An hour or so later McGlinchey contacted Gardai at Letterkenny Garda Station claiming his car had been stolen from outside his home.
Solicitor for McGlinchey, Mr Frank Dorrian, said his client had left the scene because he had not tax on his car although it was insured.
He said his client was a “bright young man” who was back in college and wanted to become a PE teacher.
He added that he unreservedly apologised to Gardai for his actions on the night.
However Judge Paul Kelly said McGlinchey’s actions could have led to the death of Garda McGowan.
“Garda McGowan has kept this incident very low key but he must have been very frightening for what he faced.
“I have no doubt that he must have been in fear of his bodily integrity if not his life and the matter is aggravated by the false report (of his car being stolen),” he said.
In passing sentence, Judge Kelly said he was taking into account McGlinchey’s previous convictions and his late plea in the case.
He sentenced him to six months in prison for endangerment but suspended the sentence for two years and banned him from driving for five years.
On the charge of making a false report he sentenced McGlinchey to a further six months in prison but suspended it on the same terms.
On the Section 53 charge of dangerous driving he fined McGlinchey €500.