Driver (20) who broke 5km lockdown rule told gardai he was just 'out for a spin’

David McEvoy pleaded guilty to breeching regulations on October 22, 2020.

He also admitted careless driving after he was clocked by gardaí driving at 130km per hour in an 80km zone.

Garda Stephen O’Toole said he was driving out of the Applegreen Service Station on October 15, 2020 shortly before midnight when he observed a vehicle driving at speed.

He followed the car to Walshestown where the vehicle continued to travel at speed.

Garda O’Toole said he was in an unmarked patrol car and kept a safe distance of about six car lengths between him and the vehicle driven by the defendant.

The vehicle was travelling at 130km per hour in an area where the speed limit was 80km oer hour.

The road was unlit and it was very wet and dark, the garda added.

He operated the lights and siren on the car and pulled the vehicle over at the R132 Balrothery, County Dublin.

The garda said when he asked McEvoy, of Rosevale, Beamore Road, Drogheda, why he was speeding the defendant said: “I wasn’t speeding I was doing the speed limit”.

The court also heard how Garda O’Toole observed McEvoy driving his Volkswagen Golf through Naul Village on October 22, 2020 with two female passengers in the car.

The incident happened when Covid restrictions were in place and when the garda asked the accused what his excuse was for being outside his 5km limit McEvoy said he was “just out for a spin”.

The garda said when he asked the two females in the car for their excuse, they also said they were just out for a spin.

The solicitor for the defence said McEvoy was “very apologetic” for speeding.

He said in relation to the Covid breech, the defendant admitted he was in the wrong. He said the accused was a 20-year-old man and the effects of Covid on young people was well publicised.

Judge Gerard Jones fined the defendant €500 for careless driving and said he wouldn’t disqualify him.

He struck out the Covid breech offence after the defendant made a €100 donation to the Red Cross.