Teen offender who hit 100km/h going wrong way down Dame St is jailed

An 18-year-old man from Rathmullan, County Donegal, has been sentenced to four years imprisonment, with the final year suspended, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a dangerous high-speed pursuit through the capital in November 2021. Aaron Donnelly pleaded guilty to two counts of endangerment and one count of unlawful use of a vehicle without consent. During the incident, Donnelly drove a stolen car at speeds exceeding 160km/h whilst evading gardaí, travelling the wrong way down Dame Street at 100km/h and through multiple red lights. The pursuit, which began after gardaí spotted three youths acting suspiciously, saw other road users forced to take evasive action to avoid collision. Judge Martin Nolan placed the offence in the "middle to high" range of endangerment, disqualifying Donnelly from driving for six years. The sentence was backdated to January, with the court noting Donnelly's age at the time of the offence, his cooperation with authorities, and positive progress in custody.