Kilkenny driver jailed after high speed garda chase

Failed to Stop
On August 19, 2024, Mr Jackman was observed driving a Volkswagen at Old Dublin Road, by Garda Philip Curran who knew him to be a disqualified driver at the time.

The garda put on the lights on the garda car. Mr Jackman failed to stop and drove off at speed, almost mounting the kerb as he did so.
He drove in the direction of Leggetsrath, hitting a speed of more than 120kph at Leggetsrath East.
Weather conditions were rainy and the road was wet at the time.

Evasive Action
At Cillín Hill Mr Jackman drove the wrong way around the roundabout, causing other cars to take evasive action.
Mr Jackman was now driving at 160kph, the court heard.
He was overtaking other vehicles who managed to avoid a collision.

Mr Jackman then turned into a house at Lavistown. Here gardaí arrested Mr Jackman.
He was later charged with four counts of dangerous driving, driving without insurance and without a licence, in relation to this incident.

Judge Geraldine Carthy was told Mr Jackman had 103 previous convictions.

Solicitor Chris Hogan said his client found it difficult to explain what was wrong in 2024. He had been keeping out of trouble but ‘everything came tumbling down’ when Mr Jackman was put off the road because of an accumulation of penalty points. He ‘took a fatalistic approach’ and there was no excuse, Mr Hogan said.
“His goose is cooked,” the solicitor said, adding that his client knew he was going to be disqualified for a long time.

Mr Jackman had panicked when he saw the gardaí, Mr Hogan said.
The defendant is a father of three and is not working, he spends a lot of time looking after his horses,
give back to society Mr Hogan told the court.

Mr Jackman was prepared to do Community Service, his solicitor said.
He helps to train a junior soccer team in Kilkenny and is able to give back to society, he just made a huge mistake in 2024, Mr Hogan said of his client.

Judge Carthy noted that Mr Jackman had two previous convictions for driving without insurance.
The dangerous driving incidents were “very concerning,” she said.
While she had been asked to consider imposing a Community Service order the judge said the offences before the court were too serious for this.
They were dealing with too many matters.

Sentence imposed
On the charge of driving without insurance, from February 21, 2024, Mr Jackman was disqualified from driving for two years.

On the charge of careless driving, committed on April 27, 2024, Mr Jackman was disqualified from driving for four years and handed down a jail sentence of four months.

On the charge of driving without insurance on August 19, 2024, Mr Jackman was disqualified from driving for six years and sentenced to four months imprisonment, to run consecutively to the previous sentence.

On the charge of driving without insurance on September 27, 2024, Mr Jackman was disqualified from driving for 10 years and sentenced to a further four months imprisonment, to run consecutively to the previous two, making a total of 12 months in jail.
All the other matters were marked as taken into consideration.
Recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal with the condition that Mr Jackman not drive any vehicle.