Dundalk court: Stole lorry under the influence of alcohol and drugs

A man who stole an articulated lorry and trailer from a truck yard near the border while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, has been jailed for a year at Dundalk Circuit Court and been banned from driving for four years.

A previous court hearing heard 30 year old Dean Lambe of Lower Faughil Road, Jonesborough damaged another lorry in Thompson’s Yard, Ravensdale Park, and in a Garda pursuit that followed, he collided with a listed granite wall and the entrance wall of a licensed premises.

The earlier hearing had been told that the defendant had driven the stolen lorry and trailer along the N1 before exiting at Junction 18, Dundalk North and an off-duty garda saw him driving the wrong way around the Major’s Hollow and Ballymac roundabouts before heading back towards Ravensdale.

While attempting to avoid gardaí, the defendant collided with the entrance to the Rosewood Country Club before he drove the wrong way around the Feede Roundabout and collided with a granite wall at Blackgate at the entrance to Ravensdale Park.

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He crossed the border, and was sentenced by Newry Magistrates Court to a total of 18 months, with half of it suspended, for a series of motoring offences the same night including dangerous driving.

Last Tuesday, when the case was finalised, Judge Dara Hayes noted Dean Lambe had no previous convictions in this jurisdiction and while he had successfully completed his Probation period in the North he was not found suitable for community service here.

The judge added it was an appalling sequence of offending, with a significant loss for the haulage business and Lambe's dangerous driving in other circumstances might have had significant consequences.

He imposed sentences totalling two years backdated to January 25th last, but suspended the final 12 months of the longer sentences on the defendant entering a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for 12 months post release.

As part of the suspended portion of the sentence he must continue to engage from AA and abstain from alcohol.