170kmh on M50, on phone and inhaling suspected ‘laughing gas’ guess the sentence

Mulhall had previous motoring convictions – including careless driving and driving unaccompanied as a learner.

A dangerous driver was caught speeding along the M50 at more than 170kmh while on the phone and inhaling suspected “laughing gas” from a balloon.

Armed Support Unit gardaí intercepted Daire Mulhall (21) as he drove towards Dublin city centre in an “extraordinarily reckless” manner, a court heard.

Judge Bryan Smyth said the incident probably warranted a jail term but gave Mulhall a three-month suspended sentence.

He also banned the accused from driving for two years and fined him €300.

Mulhall, with an address at The Rise, Belgard Heights, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Junction 9 on the M50 in Clondalkin on September 10, 2022.

Garda Richard Hennessy told Dublin District Court members of the ASU saw the accused heading northbound on the motorway, driving in excess of 170kmh while on the phone and “inhaling laughing gas, or some sort of gas.”

The accused pulled across several lanes of traffic while overtaking vehicles, the garda said.

When the gardaí pulled up alongside him and signalled him to stop, Mulhall appeared to be inhaling gas from a balloon, the court heard.

“It seems to be extraordinarily reckless behaviour,” Judge Smyth said.

Mulhall had previous motoring convictions – including careless driving and driving unaccompanied as a learner.

The accused worked as an apprentice in air conditioning, his solicitor Amanda Connolly said.

On the night in question, he got a call to say a friend needed to be collected in town and was coming in from Tallaght, Ms Connolly said.

Mulhall accepted what he did was “completely reckless behaviour” and an “act of stupidity," she said, asking the judge for leniency.

Judge Smyth said the case “probably warrants a custodial sentence” but given the guilty plea, he suspended the prison term for a year.

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/world/man-21-caught-driving-over-170kmh-on-m50-while-on-phone-and-inhaling-suspected-laughing-gas/ar-BB1i1w6i

Kalimah

I would have given him three years in prison. Might get the message across. Actually I see He has previous convictions I see so probably not. I hope to God none of my family ever have the misfortune to come across him on the M50 driving like that.

Why did it take nearly a year and a half to come to court? I'd hold the judge personally liable if Mulhall ends up killing someone on the road.

NIMAN

And the Government say they are serious about road safety.

Overheal

This is your daily reminder that Irish prison capacity is at 105% occupancy

https://www.prisonstudies.org/country/ireland-republic

Nermal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744748#Comment_121744748

Judges can't fix that, nor should they have regard to it. They should pass the appropriate and just sentence, and let the State deal with applying it.

Deregos.

Did the guards not search the car for evidence of the laughing gas or whatever it was he was they suspected him of inhaling from the balloon?

Anyway, inhaling nitrous oxide won't bade well for this dick head as it will soon kill off his few remaining brain cells.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745121#Comment_121745121

I’ve no sympathy for him or his remaining brain cells (that were probably in endangered species level to begin with), people like him tend to make everyone else’s life a misery.

Economics101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745963#Comment_121745963

Why just a 3-year ban? It should have been 10 years. Maybe the law mandates too short a sentence.

Thelonious Monk

i hate that haircut the grey tracksuit brigade have

Quitelife

The Road Safety Authority should stop moaning to the law abiding about road deaths & instead turn their focus on Judges like this .

Phones & Drugs are the two biggest reasons for road crashs/deaths but too few guards & leniant Judges allow it continue and its only getting worse.

teediddlyeye

I can never understand how judges are not held responsible if he was to go on and cause a fatal accident.

Similar to burglary/assault while on suspended sentence for burglary/assault.

In any other occupation making such a bad call would lead to serious reprimanding.

amacca

Judge Smyth said the case “probably warrants a custodial sentence”

Then **** give it.

Previous convictions as well. I wonder will the state even be capable of enforcing the ban given and if yer man is caught disobeying what meaningless slap on the wrist will the system cook up then.

The punishments given out are only deterrents and/or consequences for relatively law abiding citizens with a brain....for the morons and general scumbags they're not even much of an inconvenience afaic.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744732#Comment_121744732

They have no space in jail so these "not so serious" crimes are let go free.

He will be spinning around in a car near you soon and if caught again will say he had to for work. Will be let out again

We need a huge jail built now, or maybe just outsource jails, throw the people into them and let them work for their food :-)

SteM

21 years of age and he already 2 previous road convictions. How had he not been suspended before now?

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744741#Comment_121744741

Nah, they are only interested in squeezing the ordinary generally law abiding motorists. The easy knee jerk policy.

As for chap in OP, jail & castration to ensure he doesn't breed.

NIMAN

Someday he'll kill someone on the roads, and then it'll be thoughts and prayers with the victims, so sorry for your loss. And how we need to start taking road safety seriously in this country.

If this case doesn't warrant a custodial sentence, I don't know what does.

prunudo

What speed did the gaurds have to drive to catch someone doing 170?

teediddlyeye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121749282#Comment_121749282

171

Overheal

Did castration used to be a common punishment in Ireland because I don’t normally if ever hear that suggestion across the pond in the comments section of stories. But on boards it’s usually like the 3rd or 4th reply the whole time I’ve been here for scrotes like this.

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121749992#Comment_121749992

in this case i wouldn't worry about it , this lad looks like he will be a virgin until he can persuade his sister to "make a man of him"

StevenToast

Scum

Hyperbollix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121749217#Comment_121749217

Or of he kills himself and a bunch of others it'll be boy racer convoy outside the church and a glowing eulogy about what a great lad he was altogether.

Wossack

Why just suspected of the gas/drugs? Could that not be examined for, or proven? Seems a bit daft that it’s mentioned at all

I am trying to work out physically how you could hold a phone up to your ear while doing a gas bag all while driving at 170kmh on the M50 of all places

Kaisr Sose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744825#Comment_121744825

Correct, however they are aware that some convicted people are turned around at prison due to lack of accommodation.

A new prison is required for the increase in population. Like the rail link to airport, it's just not good enough that no new prison has been built in decades.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121750023#Comment_121750023

Are these his sisters or his ma

Linda and Charlotte Mulhall are sisters from Dublin, Ireland, who killed and dismembered their mother's boyfriend,

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121750153#Comment_121750153

no they cant test for or prosecute for fastgas,

it does however cause short term brain damage with each use and long term with prolonged use , so there's that ....

Pauliedragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121750252#Comment_121750252

I wouldn't imagine there's a whole lot between the ears to damage.

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121750345#Comment_121750345

all the more reason he and his ilk should be confined for his protection and for the protection of the rest of us

highpitcheric

the generational question of wtf do we do with these mad yokes.

any creative or effective solution just makes you sound like a sun reader.

any solution in line with modern rights and standards just bounces right off their thick skulls and they go out and do it again.

incarceration with no access to digital devices may work, thats a modern form of torture for anyone under a certain age. And it doesnt come off as inhumane. But we don't have the spaces it seems. Or the judges.

If multi-repeat offenders keep being seen to walk away unscathed then we're fecked. That much is certain. Examples are direly needed. This cuunt for example. He should be in the papers, in tears at a shockingly heavy sentence with poor ma and da pleading about a disproportionate judgement. For all scrotes to see.

Rubberchikken

The fat f@ck deserves to be locked away forever if only to save him from his own stupidity.

The law is truly an ass.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744748#Comment_121744748

So? Throw more scumbags in there. Have it at 200% capacity if needs be. Better they're in prison than out causing carnage on our streets.

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121750694#Comment_121750694

Given who his parents are I doubt they are bothered in the least , likely proud of him getting a headline

as for seeking solutions , Im almost certain its too late , your right we are fcuked .

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744732#Comment_121744732

The only solution to these idiotic sentences is for somebody to sue a judge and the state, in the unfortunate circumstance of suffering a loss as a result of a failure to incarcerate people who should not be free to walk our streets.

That, or go full Gerard Butler in Law Abiding Citizen, and f×ck the powers that be in our shocking justice system.

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121751119#Comment_121751119

Who are his parents?

Lewis_Benson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121751117#Comment_121751117

Exactly.

Prison isn't really that much of a deterrent as it is.

Make it a horrible place to exist.

SodiumCooled

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121750252#Comment_121750252

The same N2O commonly used as a painkiller in hospitals and even dentists (though not much anymore I think)?

Asking as I thought it was considered safe (for medical use).

buried

If prison is at 105% occupancy, then the likes of this total f**king pisstracksuit gom should be out 24/7 fixing the roads he's so fond of using. Let him sleep in a tent beside the road he's doing up. If he can't sleep, give him sleeping gas instead of the laughing sort that he is used to.

Mr. teddywinkles

Deleted

Witcher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121751303#Comment_121751303

Yeah, safe when administered at a measured dosage by a trained professional not sucked from a balloon.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744732#Comment_121744732

Having convictions is irrelevant if there is no punishment.

Someone with 10 convictions and 10 suspended sentences has spent the same amount of time in prison as someone who has never been arrested.

BlueSkyDreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121751128#Comment_121751128

I think the day is not far away when citizens sue the govt when courts have condoned criminals who go on to reoffend the same crime.

It is logical.

If you hire a plumber to fix the water system and it floods, well they didnt do their job. They are accountable.

If a rouge driver runs someone over and is left free by the judge (suspended sentence) , when the same person runs over and kills someone else, you can argue the judge is also culpable.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121745988#Comment_121745988

The haircut is the least worst thing about this irresponsible tubby man-child.

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121752446#Comment_121752446

Add to that there's nothing preventing this guy or anyone else driving while they're banned unless they're subsequently caught doing it. And sure what would another conviction matter to someone like this. They themselves have to surrender their license rather than it being taken off them.

Everlong1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121750023#Comment_121750023

Wrong. There's a class of female out there who loves to be around scumbags because they're great craic y'know and always up for the laugh. In fact he's probably spawned at least two or three baby scumbags by now, who we'll be posting about in, oh, 7 or 8 years time when they'll be about 10 or 11 years old and start making their mark as the next generation of feral svages beating up tourists.

joebloggs32

Good luck with the notion of trying to sue a judge if some scrote on a suspended sentence kills or maims someone, remember it will be one of their colleagues who would be hearing the case. Turkeys would never vote for Christmas.

The other point worth mentioning is the endless repeat offenders help to line the pockets of the lads and ladies down in the law library.

Everlong1

Good to see this in the Irish Times - the more pressure that can be brought to bear on this Government's negligence of the crime situation the better. Obviously nobody's told this Dublin business group about the policy of "no jail time unless you murder someone".

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/dublin/2024/02/12/increased-garda-presence-youth-offending-crackdown-and-safe-taxi-hubs-proposed-in-wake-of-dublin-riot/

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121752810#Comment_121752810

As part of the concept of judicial independence, a judge has personal legal indemnity for acts carried out as part of their legal duties, so you wouldn't be able to sue them in the first place - it has nothing to do with who would be hearing the case. The legal remedy for arguing that a judge's decision is wrong is the appeals process.

That said, in 2009 judge Michael Pattwell in Cork urged the victims of crimes committed by people on early prison release* to sue the State itself: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-20102141.html . I'm not sure if anyone took him up on the matter.

*Note that early prison release is different from a suspended sentence.

Everlong1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121757567#Comment_121757567

So that's at least 13 years ago that the lack of prison space was being raised publicly as a serious threat to the public. Probably going on long before that too.

Cordell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744748#Comment_121744748

One word: spooning. Back to 52.5% occupancy.

Stark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121744741#Comment_121744741

Oh they are, lots of builders vests being given out. As long as you're "seen" by this guy, nothing bad can happen to you.