A man who drove a stolen minibus the wrong way down the A55 after seriously injuring a cyclist has been jailed for three years. Darragh O'Grady, 32, of no fixed abode, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, aggravated vehicle taking, theft from a person, fraud by false representation and driving without a licence and insurance.
A judge at Caernarfon Crown Court told O'Grady it was a "matter of sheer luck" he didn't kill himself or others when he crashed into multiple vehicles and forced other motorists to swerve to avoid him. At one point, a video filmed by another driver showed him putting his "thumb up", the sentencing hearing heard today (Tuesday).
Crash on the A55
The court was told police received 999 calls about O'Grady on Monday, August 24 this year. Oliver King, prosecuting, said O'Grady had come over on a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead, where he stole bank cards and a mobile phone belonging to a passenger. Bank details revealed one of the cards was used to make a number of transactions, between around £30 to £60 each, with the defendant spending about £100 to £200.
CCTV captured O'Grady exiting the Holyhead terminal just after 6.15pm. He went into the town centre and at around 7pm, he approached a minibus, owned by Zoes Taxis, and stole it after taking the keys, which were in another vehicle owned by the firm. Mr King said the defendant drove the taxi along residential roads, before heading onto the A5 towards Valley.
Just after 7.30pm, he struck cyclist Richard Roberts from behind with the wing mirror of the minibus. Mr Roberts was knocked off the bike and "momentarily lost consciousness". He was later taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital for treatment, and was found to have suffered two broken ribs, a liver cut and road rash to his shoulder, lower back and knees. He had also sustained bruising to his skull. O'Grady failed to stop, Mr King said.
Thumbs up and collisions
A second cyclist also narrowly avoided being hit by O'Grady as the defendant overtook him "skimming him at speed," the court heard. He would have hit him if the wing mirror had not been turned inwards by the previous collision with Mr Roberts. O'Grady continued eastbound onto the westbound carriageway of the A55 at speed during "a long period of bad driving," said Mr King.
Dashcam footage from vehicles and mobile phone footage showed him driving on the wrong side of the road. "He made eye-contact with a person who was recording him and gave a thumbs up sign," said Mr King. Police received numerous calls about O'Grady, who was "swerving in and out of lanes" and driving at speed while the boot of the minibus was open. Multiple motorists reported him nearly striking their vehicles, said Mr King. He said motorists had to swerve out of the way to avoid him.
But the court heard he did hit a number of vehicles, including a VW Golf, which caused marks along the length of the driver's side and a broken wing mirror. He also struck the rear of a mobility car being driven by Heather Jones, causing it to swerve. Ms Jones feared she "might die" when she was struck and felt "lucky to have escaped serious harm". She said she felt "nervous" after the incident, the court heard via a victim statement. She wanted him to know the "distress his actions had caused". O'Grady also struck a camper van when he was driving on residential roads, causing damage to a door, wheel and wing.
Arrest and sentence
Police eventually brought O'Grady to a stop with a stinger after he failed to stop for them. Officers could "tell straight away he was under the influence," but the defendant wouldn't provide a sample for analysis and became argumentative with officers. The stolen mobile phone and bank cards were found in the taxi, which had also sustained damage, which the owner estimated had cost them around £7,000 as a result of not being able to use it.
In a police interview O'Grady claimed he possessed a licence in Ireland, although it wasn't a full licence. Although he had no previous convictions in the UK, he admitted having convictions in Ireland. In a victim impact statement, Mr Roberts said that although he made a good recovery, he was "upset" by the incident. His body still felt "tight" following the collision, like he had been winded, and was using painkillers. He had struggled to sleep afterwards. The bike, which had been bought two months earlier, had been written off. He used it to cope with life's stresses.
The owner of the taxi firm said the minibus was an important part of the business, used for airport runs. It was a good income earner. They found the theft "distressing", went to look for the minibus themselves and even at one point had to swerve to avoid being struck by it as it was driven the wrong way on the carriageway. They had "nightmares about seeing their own vehicle driven toward them at speed," said Mr King.
Richard Edwards, defending, said O'Grady had entered an early guilty plea, accepted responsibility, was remorseful for his actions and apologised. He suffered from mental health issues, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and wanted to serve his sentence and return to his family in Ireland.
Judge Timothy Petts said O'Grady's actions had affected a number of people including Mr Roberts, who had been left in the road with "very serious injuries", damaged a number of vehicles and affected the taxi business. The judge branded the defendant's driving while "highly impaired by drugs and alcohol" as "completely stupid and ridiculous". He added it was "a matter of sheer luck you didn't kill either yourself or worse still somebody else".
Judge Petts sentenced O'Grady to three years in prison, with a proportion to be served in custody and the rest on licence. He was also banned from driving for five and a half years, to take into account his sentence. O'Grady must also pass an extended test before he can drive in the UK. His licence will be endorsed and he must pay a statutory surcharge.
