A 32-year-old city man, who drove a motorbike dangerously in heavy traffic on two separate dates while being chased by gardaí, was sentenced to 13 months in prison at Galway District Court last week.

Hugh Guinan (32), 31 Coillte, Merlin Park, Galway, pleaded guilty to five counts of dangerous driving in the Renmore/Ballybane area of the city on 23 January last and to driving a motorbike without insurance on the same date.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving at Doughiska, to refusing to give a breath sample and to assaulting a truck driver on 5 September last year.

Inspector Mick Coppinger said that at around 2.30pm on 23 January last gardaí were on patrol when they observed Guinan ride a motorbike at speed out of Beal Srutha. He took off at high speed through traffic and at Murrough, Renmore, he eventually lost control of the bike and ran from the scene but was apprehended a short distance away. The inspector said several counts of dangerous driving relating to that pursuit were brought when both gardaí saw Guinan swerve in and out of heavy traffic very dangerously.

Guinan, he said, did not have insurance to drive the motorbike either. The inspector said that on 5 September last year, Detective John Moloney was on his way to work at 4.20pm when he observed Guinan weaving in and out of traffic again at Doughiska in a dangerous manner.

He observed Guinan being abusive to a truck driver at Doughiska and Detective Moloney arrested him at the scene on suspicion of drink driving. Guinan refused to give a sample of his breath for analysis at Galway Garda Station. Inspector Coppinger said the assault on the truck driver was not serious, just a bit of pushing and shoving. He said Guinan had nine previous convictions for burglary and larceny.

Defence solicitor, Ciara Macklin said her client was getting counselling at present and was on a lot of medication as he has a severe addiction to drink and drugs. She said he left home at 14 and, according to a psychiatric report he never had a childhood, she said.

Ms Macklin said Guinan knew he would be going to prison for these offences and he was relieved in a way because he knew he would be off drugs while in prison and will be "clean" when he comes out. Judge Mary Fahy accepted Guinan had difficulties which he was trying to address and she said she would take that into account in sentencing. She imposed various terms of imprisonment on most of the charges, totalling 13 months and she disqualified Guinan for four years for refusing to give a breath sample, and imposed three more consecutive 12-month disqualifications on some of the dangerous driving charges. She also recommended he receive psychiatric assistance while in custody. Leave to appeal the sentences was also granted.

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