Garda chase as driver went wrong way down motorway at 180kph - Kilkenny Live

A two and half year prison sentence was handed down to a man who pleaded guilty to endangerment after driving down the M9 at speeds of 180 kilometres in the wrong direction.
Dean Pepper, who had an address at 12 Ardmore Court, Fortunestown, Dublin pleaded to endangerment and to no insurance on the M9 on August 19, 2021.
The court heard that on the date in question, Garda Damien Rafter was on duty attached to the traffic unit at Thomastown Garda Station and was carrying out a speed detection check at the overpass on the M9 at Danesfort.
Gda Rafter told the court that at 3.24pm he detected a black Ford Focus travelling at a speed of 152 kilometres per hour in a 120 kilometre zone. The garda activated the blue lights of the patrol car and followed the vehicle and caught up with him at Dunbell and signalled to the driver to pull in. The car, which was driven by the defendant pulled in at the side of the motorway.
“As I stepped out of the car and took a few paces he took off in an aggressive manner. He pulled out causing a car from behind to move to the other side to avoid a collision.
“I returned to the garda patrol car and I followed the car. I had the siren and the lights on and I contacted the patrol room for back up. I followed behind him in a marked patrol car. The Focus failed to pull in and was driving at speeds of between 180 and 200kph.
Gda Rafter also told the court that at 3.34pm on the motorway at Ballyquirke, Gowran the two lanes ahead of the Focus were blocked so the defendant went onto the hard shoulder at a speed of 170kph to get around the traffic.
“I remained in the outside lane until the traffic was clear and then I intercepted the Focus. I was giving updates to the patrol room and was looking for assistance. At 3.37pm at Bagenalstown the Focus accelerated and was travelling at a speed of in excess of 200kph.
“The road was dry and the traffic was reasonably heavy. In certain parts of the motorway both lanes were occupied. At 3.39pm at The Glebe in Bagenalstown the Focus went onto the hard shoulder to undertake traffic including trucks at a speed of 180kpm. At Ballybar in Carlow at 3.41pm the defendant did another undertaking on the hard shoulder at a speed of approximately 190 kph,” he said.
Garda Rafter also gave evidence that at Junction 5 on the motorway he observed a garda colleague getting onto the motorway and following the pursuit.
“At 3.45pm at Castledermot the Focus went past Junction 4 at 195kph and cars were attempting to enter and exit the motorway at this point. At 3.46pm at Coolane, Kildare the Focus undertook a line of vehicles in the hard shoulder at a speed of 180 kph.
“At 3.48pm at Athy I observed the occupants of the car and they started throwing sheets of paper out of the car causing confusion with other drivers who were swerving and braking. At 3.50 at Junction 3 the Focus exited off the motorway and had driven to the offramp and went around the roundabout three times and then travelled back down in the incorrect direction.
“I observed Gda Kearney (who was also in pursuit of the Focus) and the Focus coming down and it nearly collided with the garda vehicle. The Focus continued down the incorrect side of the motorway and I went in the same direction on the correct side and I observed the defendant travelling at 180kph on the hard shoulder going against traffic.
“At 3.54 at Castledermott I observed the Focus slow down when there was free road ahead and attempt a handbrake turn which was unsuccessful in its attempt and ended up stranded on its side in the middle of the motorway before managing to get moving again,” said Gda Rafter who told the court that he had stopped at this point and got out of his vehicle and got ‘a good look of the driver’ he said adding that there were three people in the car.
The Focus passed a number of patrol cars on the motorway while travelling in the incorrect direction.
At 3.56pm the Focus stopped and the occupants escaped on foot towards a wooded area.
“At 4.02pm I received word that two youths were intercepted in the woods.” said Gda Rafter who went to the scene where he recognised the defendant and arrested him and brought him to Kilkenny Garda Station.
Five garda cars were involved in the pursuit and a garda van and air support unit were also involved in the incident.
The defendant has 20 previous convictions, including 18 under the Road Traffic and was disqualified from driving at the time.
The court heard that the defendant (22) co-operated and is in employment and is drug free and has family support.
“He has no excuse for his actions and realises that they were utterly mindless,” his barrister said.
Judge Cormac Quinn remarked that the speeds were ‘completely breathtaking’ and imposed a four year sentence and suspended the final 18 months.