Freed Garda killer being hunted by officers after serious road accident

A MAN who caused the death of a garda by driving into his car is ‘on the run’ after another serious accident on the roads.

Martin McDermott, 29, was freed from prison in June, four years into a sevenyear sentence for killing Garda Gary McLoughlin in Burt, Co. Donegal, in 2009.

But last week McDermott crashed a car on the outskirts of Letterkenny but left hospital before he could be interviewed by gardaí.

McDermott is believed to be across the border and may have tried to get treatment at Derry’s Altnagelvin Hospital. Gardaí last night declined to comment.

McDermott should not have been at the wheel as he is subject to a 20-year driving ban following the death of Garda McLoughlin in December 2009.

Buncrana-based Garda McLoughlin died hours after his squad car was hit by a s peeding s t ol en c ar dri ven by McDermott.

McDermott, who was involved in a highspeed 30-kilometre chase with gardaí at the time, was twice the legal drink-drive limit when his car ploughed into Garda McLoughlin’s vehicle.

The average speed McDermott drove at during the pursuit was 150kph.

Garda McLoughlin, 24, died of his injuries in Letterkenny General the following day.

In 2011 McDermott was sentenced to eight years for Garda McLoughlin’s manslaughter, with the final year suspended.

McDermott, from Raphoe, Co. Donegal, hit the headlines when he escaped from the low-security open prison at Loughlin House in Co. Cavan eight months later.

He was arrested in Derry eight days later and he assaulted PSNI officers. He was jailed for four months in the North before being extradited back here.