Courts / Dublin / Report
Banned driver jailed for speeding through Covid checkpoint
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 5 July 2022, Carl Reilly, aged 33, was sentenced to one year in prison for endangerment, dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. Reilly, who had been disqualified from driving due to earlier road‑traffic offences, rented a van to work during the Covid lockdown. In May 2020 he drove the van through a garda checkpoint in Rathfarnham, forcing a Garda to jump out of the way. He then accelerated to 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, broke a red light and was later arrested. The court noted that the Garda who had to evade the van suffered flashbacks and sleeplessness. Reilly pleaded guilty and was given a one‑year custodial sentence.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Banned driver jailed for speeding through Covid checkpoint. Charges or matters: one count of endangerment, one count of dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance at Grange Road, Rathfarnham on May 28, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 28, 2020 Incident
- 2022-07-05 Publication
Why: Sarah Jane O'Callaghan BL, defending, said her client was not acting out of malice when he drove through the checkpoint, but "panicked" when he was spotted by gardaí because he was disqualified from driving. Defence account reported by CNI
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of endangerment, one count of dangerous driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance at Grange Road, Rathfarnham on May 28, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Reilly was disqualified from driving due to previous road traffic offences but had rented the van to work during the Covid lockdown, his defence counsel said. He noted Reilly was disqualified from driving at the time and he handed down a one-year sentence.
Places mentioned
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