UFC star Conor McGregor has narrowly avoided a jail sentence after he admitted an “appalling” episode of dangerous driving where he drove in a bus lane, jumped a red light and nearly collided with another vehicle.
McGregor (36) told a garda “are you taking the piss” after he was asked to step out of his car on Dublin’s M50.
He also told the garda he was waiting to get out of his car because he “needed his security to catch up”.
A garda witness said he was driving at speeds of more than 160kph trying to catch McGregor’s vehicle.
Judge David McHugh said this incident was an appalling series of breaches of road traffic rules, and described McGregor’s dangerous driving as “persistent, prolonged and deliberate”.
Judge McHugh convicted and fined McGregor €5,000 and banned him from driving for two years.
The judge also imposed a five month jail sentence suspended for two years.
The defendant, of The Paddocks, Castledillon, Straffan, Co Kildare, admitted careless driving at the M50 southbound and dangerous driving at the N4/M50 interchange.
McGregor was initially charged with uninsured and unlicensed driving, but those matters were struck out after produced his documents, which were in order.
Garda Denis Lordan told Blanchardstown District Court he was stopped at traffic lights at the junction of Lucan Road/R136 at 5.34pm on March 22, 2022, when he looked in his left wing mirror and saw a vehicle travelling along the bus lane at speed.
The vehicle, a convertible, drove through the red light, failing to stop, and merged from the bus lane onto the Lucan Road, all in one movement.
The garda activated the blue lights and sirens on his patrol car, and followed McGregor’s vehicle.
The car merged from the bus lane at high speed, and a second vehicle was forced to stop to avoid a collision.
Gda Lordan said McGregor drove at high speed and out onto the roundabout outside Woodies without stopping. The car drove on the bus lane eastbound on the N4, before crossing the bus lane out onto the fast lane.
Gda Lordan said McGregor drove at high speed on the N4, and the garda said he was doing more than 160kph trying to catch the vehicle.
McGregor tried to undertake a car on the last lane, moving into the middle lane, before moving back out onto the fast lane, the court heard.
He took the slip road, which has two lanes, to the M50. McGregor took the inside slip lane, moving to the outside lane over the hash markings, and causing dust to rise.
Gda Lordan said McGregor drove onto the M50 southbound, moving from the fast lane to undertake a vehicle, before moving back to the fast lane.
The garda said he tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to pull over. McGregor finally pulled over onto the hard shoulder, he said.
Gda Lordan told the driver to get out of the vehicle. McGregor said to him: “are you taking the piss? You want me to get out of the car, out of the vehicle on the M50?”
Gda Lordan said he asked McGregor six or seven times to get out of the vehicle, and the defendant told him he was waiting because he “needed his security to catch up”.
The garda said he eventually opened the car door, and McGregor got out. He was arrested and taken back to the garda station where he was charged.
The court heard McGregor had 20 previous convictions, mostly for minor road traffic matters.
Defence lawyer David Staunton said that McGregor offered his apology to the court, and he regretted the incident.
Mr Staunton said McGregor was acutely aware of the impact his behaviour had on others.
The defendant was also very, very aware and acknowledged the difficulties driving like that can cause to others.
Mr Staunton said the defendant had given back to his community, had a number of businesses and employed a lot of people.
McGregor’s father, who had been ill, was in court to support him, Mr Staunton said.
Judge McHugh said McGregor put his life and the lives of other road users at risk, and he was considering an outright prison sentence due to the nature and degree of dangerous driving.
Mr Staunton urged the judge to consider all other options, as prison should be a last resort.
In all the circumstances, Judge McHugh said he would impose a five month suspended sentence.
McGregor, wearing a three piece blue check suit, sat in the dock with his hands clasped for the duration of the hearing. He did not address the court.