A Limerick criminal who knocked down a garda and rammed a bus and two garda patrol cars while driving a high-powered stolen BMW told gardaí after his arrest: "I'm addicted to fast cars".
Jamie Marshall, who was banned from driving at the time, also told arresting officers: "Fast cars are my heroin," Limerick Circuit Court heard.
Marshall (28) of Altimera Terrace, Thomondgate, was arrested by Detective Garda Brian Colbert following a high-speed chase with Limerick gardaí, on August 31st, 2016.
Marshall, who had over 50 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless endangerment, four counts of burglary, four counts of criminal damage, and three counts of stealing cars.
Following his arrest, Marshall led Det Gda Colbert to a Nissan Qashqai, which was stolen from a house on Fr Russell Road.
The car contained a laptop and an iPad, which were stolen by Marshall during burglaries.
The accused also helped gardaí locate a stolen VW Polo taken during one of the burglaries.
During the chase with gardaí, Marshall reversed the stolen BMW and collided with Garda Shane Kirwin injuring one of his legs.
Marshall then crashed into two Garda patrol cars before he was pursued by gardaí at speeds of up to 100kph through Limerick city.
During the chase, Marshall drove in the middle of the road causing other motorists to swerve out of the way.
The chase continued along Hartstonage Street, O’Connell Avenue, Mallow Street, Boherbouy, and onto Hyde Road.
The stolen BMW eventually stopped near Carey’s Road, after Marshall rammed a bus and pushed another vehicle, that had stopped at traffic lights, into the middle of the road.
The collision was captured on the bus CCTV system.
Detective Gda Colbert, having chased Marshall on foot from Carey's Road, arrested him at Kennedy Park.
Marshall caused €10,000 damage to the €40,000 BMW.
The accused revived a 10-year driving ban in 2013, after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
Five years before, in 2008, he was left in a critical condition in hospital after a car he was driving crashed into a wall at Woodcock Hill, near Cratloe, Co Clare.
A man in his early 20s and two teenage girls were also injured in the crash. Judge Tom O’Donnell remanded Marshall in custody for sentencing on May 3rd.