Teen driver banned for a year after chase through forest park

A TEENAGE driver who sped away from police after he was caught doing ‘donuts’ in the Gortin area has been banned for a year.

Jakub Koglutowski (18), of Mullaghmore Park, Dungannon, pleaded guilty to driving dangerously through the Gortin Glen Forest Park, refusing to stop for police and not displaying ‘R’ plates in July 2022.

Omagh Magistrates Court heard that he was discovered by police while performing a number of ‘donuts’ in his mother’s black BMW in the Glenpark Road area.

After becoming aware of the PSNI watching him, the defendant drove into the forest park and continued on through a busy parking area. Police said there were a number of onlookers and pedestrians in the area at the time.

Koglutowski drove along a narrow road where, police said, he nearly collided with a couple who were out walking their dog.

Police eventually brought the vehicle to a stop after they blocked the road ahead, the court heard. This meant Koglutowski had no choice but to put the car he was driving into a ditch or face colliding into a police vehicle.

As officers talked to Koglutowski they realized that he was still
within the time necessary for a driver to have R plates displayed on a vehicle.

He also told police the reason he did not display the plates was due to the car being his mother’s and not the one he normally drove.

Kuglutowski’s barrister, Stephen Campbell, said that the teenager losing his licence would have a massive detriment to his life as he had been working as a machinery driver.

Mr Campbell said that his client was sorry for his “extremely foolish” behaviour and it would not happen again.

District judge Bernie Kelly observed that the incident had to be taken with the “utmost seriousness”. She also stated that because of the nature of the offence she would have to impose a driving ban.

Koglutowski was fined a total of £575 for all offences and was disqualified from driving for one year.