Courts / Dublin / Report

Jail for man who led gardai on Christmas Eve car chase

Date
2017-12-04

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Nathan Coakley, 24, of Buckingham Street Upper, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for unlawful use of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a knife as a weapon. On 24 December 2015, Coakley and another male drove a stolen Hyundai i30 through the Ballsbridge area, breaking several red lights and narrowly avoiding a collision. The chase ended when the car flipped over and landed upright on four wheels. Coakley and the other man fled on foot, entered a house where a group of young males were gathered, and were not pursued by Gardaí. A knife, two petrol containers and a strip of paper were found in the vehicle; DNA on the knife matched Coakley. He was arrested, returned from the UK, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan, who also ordered a ten‑year driving disqualification.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jail for man who led gardai on Christmas Eve car chase. Charges or matters: unlawful use of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a knife as a weapon at Ringsend, Dublin on December 24, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

December 24, 2015 Incident
Christmas Eve Incident
2017-12-04 Publication

Case subjects

Nathan Coakley

Defendant

Charges: unlawful use of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful possession of a knife as a weapon at Ringsend, Dublin on December 24, 2015 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Nolan further ordered that Coakley be disqualified from driving for a period of ten years.