A man who has 126 previous convictions and was involved in what a senior Garda described as “one of the worst” car chases he had ever been involved in has had a previously suspended portion of a prison sentence reactivated.
Brian Reilly (29) of Tailteann Drive, Navan, Co Meath appeared before the Circuit Court on foot of a Section 99 reactivation order.
The court heard that the disqualified driver smashed into a car carrying an elderly couple five years ago but went on to engage in dangerous driving again just months after his release from prison during the 18 months suspended term of the previously imposed sentence.
In early 2020 Reilly crashed into the elderly couple’s car at a red light in Finglas, and was brought before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2021.
For this offence he received a seven and a half year sentence where the final 18 months were suspended, and received a lifetime driving ban.
The 2020 accident took place when Reilly was attempting to evade a Garda license check, just six weeks after being released from jail where he had been serving a sentence for offences related to endangerment.
He appeared again before the Circuit Criminal Court today – having also received a 5 year jail sentence for another spate of instances of dangerous driving which took place in Meath in November 2024 ending with him smashing into a vehicle which was carrying a woman, her two children, and her elderly mother.
The court heard that the impact of this collision was such that the vehicle Reilly was travelling in was thrown off the road forcing him to abandon a lengthy Garda chase which Detective Garda Patrick Muldowney described as “up there with the worst of pursuits I’ve dealt with” in his 23 years of service.
The court heard that when this incident took place, Reilly had been out of prison for only four months.
Gda Muldowney told the court that he was on patrol on the day in question when Gardaí were alerted to an incident involving a car Reilly was driving. When approached by officers he sped off and in the process rammed the Garda patrol car as well as 9 other cars that were in his path.
He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving, four counts of endangerment, and a number of criminal damage offences.
Defence counsel Keith Spencer BL pleaded with Judge Orla Crowe not to reactivate the 18-month suspended sentence, as this would result in Reilly losing access to the guidance of the Probation Service.
Mr. Spenser argued that his client “does well” in custody, however Gda Muldowney interjected to say that he has known Reilly “since 2010” and that he “always does well in custody” but does not do well when in public.
“All of that goes by the wayside”, he told the court.
Judge Crowe rejected the requests of the defence saying that the matter was “too serious” to be dealt with in such a manner.
She ordered 12 months of the suspended 18 month portion of the previous 7 and a half year sentence to be reactivated, however Reilly refused to submit to these terms, saying aloud, “No I don’t accept it”.
The court was left with no option but to reactivate the full 18 months with Judge Crowe giving counsel leave to reenter the matter if necessary.