Kildare man ‘couldn’t explain’ why he sped off at 200kph on wet day

A solicitor told a Naas District Court judge that his client 'couldn’t explain' to him why he decided to speed off at high speeds on a wet day.

Tim Kennelly made the comments to Judge Desmond Zaidan on Thursday, March 7 last, in relation to his client, Kian Percival, with an address listed as Allenwood South in County Kildare.

Gardaí told the court that on March 29, 2023, the 21-year-old led gardaí on a high speed chase from Naas to Junction 12, a distance of around 10 kilometres.

The court was told that, at one stage, Mr Percival was clocked for speeding at 170 kilometres per hour, and was clocked a second time for speeding at 200 kph.

On the date in question, it was heard that it was a wet day, and gardaí were told to stand down from pursuing Mr Percival due to safety concerns.

Mr Percival admitted to the offence, and it was heard that he has no previous convictions.

Solicitor Tim Kennelly (File photograph).

Judge Zaidan asked Mr Kennelly: "What was he thinking?"

Mr Kennelly responded that his client cannot offer an explanation for why he committed the offence, and told the judge that he viewed the offence as being a 'deplorable' one.

He explained that his client would need his licence, as he works on the transport side of his family’s kitchen-fitting business.

Mr Kennelly also told the judge: "This was an isolated incident; it appears to be an anomaly, and, fortunately, no one was injured.

"I respectfully submit that Mr Percival doesn’t need prison to be deterred from this type of behaviour."

Although Judge Zaidan remarked in one stage during the case that it had 'prison written all over it', after consideration, he decided that he would disqualify Mr Percival from driving for a period of two years.

He also fined Mr Percival a total of €2,000, which is to be paid within three months.