Driver who led garda car chase across South Kilkenny convicted of dangerous driving

A woman has been convicted of dangerous driving and other offences following a garda pursuit across South Kilkenny.

Angela Farrell, Urlingford Road, Johnstown, was not in Kilkenny District Court for the hearing, which went ahead when the judge determined the defendant had been informed it was scheduled.

Ms Farrell was charged following two road offence related incidents.
She was charged with three counts of dangerous driving, driving without insurance or a licence, following the chase in June, 2025.

She was also charged with obstructing a peace officer, using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, and driving without insurance or a licence, after another incident, in October 2025.

Garda Aidan Walsh gave evidence that on June 21, 2025, he was on duty in the garda patrol car. He observed a vehicle driving in front of him in Piltown, in the direction of Fairgreen East.

The car turned off the road and the garda continued, before turning back.

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When he was driving in the direction of Piltown, Garda Walsh said the other car passed him at speed.
As the car travelled from Fiddown to Piltown it was being driven over the 50km/h speed limit.
Garda Walsh activated the patrol car’s lights and siren but the other car refused to stop.

‘Dangerous’
At the road junction at Anthony’s pub, the other car drove on the wrong side of the white line and turned into School Road ‘in a dangerous manner’. It went towards Owing.

The garda followed and called for backup, as the vehicle was not stopping.

In Owning village the other car travelled at speed over the mini roundabout and, without indicating, turned into Skeogh. The car failed to stop at a junction, without any regard for other motorists or oncoming traffic.

Garda Walsh said he tried to pass the other vehicle several times, to try to stop it, but every time the driver manoeuvred into the middle of the road.
The other car was being driven erratically.

At Windgap the car turned left, towards the school, and on to the parochial house. There were two entrance/ exits and the car took the second entrance before exiting through the first entrance. The car went back in an entrance before stopping.

The driver, Ms Farrell, jumped out of the car and ran towards a small housing estate, where she was apprehended by Garda Walsh. She was arrested and taken to a garda station where she was charged.

At the estate Garda Walsh had asked for Ms Farrell’s insurance documents. She did not produce them .
Solicitor Ed Hughes said he had not received any instructions in relation to this from his client.

Garda Philip Curran gave evidence in court of a separate incident involving Ms Farrell, which occurred on October 16, 2025.

The garda observed Ms Farrell driving at Castle Road, Kilkenny, at 7.20pm. He knew her to be disqualified from driving at the time.

He carried out a check on the garda mobility device and saw the vehicle was not insured, had no NCT certificate and was not taxed.

Garda Curran indicated to Ms Farrell to pull over, with the lights on the garda patrol car, which she did.

The garda walked up to Ms Farrell and informed her he knew she was disqualified and she would be arrested for driving without a licence.

At this point Ms Farrell became abusive, told the garda to ‘f*** off’ and said he was ‘not really a garda.’
Ms Farrell hopped out of her vehicle and attempted to walk away, through the traffic. The garda said he had to put his hands on her arm to pull her back.

The garda attempted to put handcuffs on Ms Farrell who put her hands into fists and tried to push him away.
She began screaming “help me, help me”. There were people walking past, including a family with children, the garda said. Click 'next' to continue reading the evidence and judgement...