A teenager caused nearly €4,000 worth of damages when he jumped out of a moving car which carried on moving until it crashed into a jeep, a court heard yesterday.
Dublin Children's Court heard that gardaí had found the 17-year-old youth driving the untaxed, uninsured car in the car park of an hotel in Tallaght, Dublin, on December 14th.
Judge Gerard Haughton was told that the teenager jumped into the car and drove off with its door open while a garda was still holding on to him.
Seconds later the teenager, knowing that he would not be able to escape, jumped out of the car, which then continued moving until it crashed into a jeep parked nearby.
The youth was arrested for driving without insurance and a licence, and also charged with criminal damage and dangerous driving.
He admitted driving without documentation but pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving and to criminal damage.
The teenager, who is married and a father of one, comes from the Travelling community.
He had been using the car to do errands for his family. He had been brought up in a difficult background.
His parents had difficulties with each other arising out of his father's alcoholism. He had spent his childhood years helping to raise his younger siblings, the court heard.
Noting that the youth has five convictions for motoring offences, Judge Haughton said that it was unacceptable to drive without insurance or a licence and that the laws of the Road Traffic Act applied equally to members of all communities, settled or Travellers.
He banned the teenager from driving for three years and detained him for two months. He also ordered a hearing on July 1st on the charges of dangerous driving and criminal damage.