A Garda has told a court how he came across what appeared to be a three-carriage sulky race in progress on the M3 motorway on a Sunday November morning 18 months ago. Appearing at Trim District Court on a charge of dangerous driving in 19th November 2023 was Mark Stanners, Delmege Park, Moyross, Co Limerick. The 44-year-old man admitted a second charge of permitting animals to be on a motorway.
Garda Michael Kilkenny told the court that he saw three sulkies that appeared to be in a race trying to overtake each other. They entered the motorway at one junction and exited at another junction at the end of the race. He said that traffic had to slow and stop behind the race. The Garda said he approached the defendant at the entrance to an industrial estate. He said defendant was in control of a horse involved in the race. The incident took place at 8.30 on a Sunday morning and cars using the motorway were impeded and blocked and the race posed a danger, he said.
Defence barrister James O’Brien applied to Judge Patricia Cronin for a dismissal of the dangerous driving charge, saying there was no evidence given in court which pointed to dangerous driving on his client’s part. When the judge held that defendant had a case to answer, he declined to enter the witness box.
Prosecuting Inspector Valerie English said defendant had 38 previous convictions. The judge imposed a fine of €250 and disqualified him for two years. She took the charge of allowing animals to be on a motorway into account.
