A 22 year-old man was prosecuted for driving twice without insurance inside three days earlier this year in Meath. Connor Kennedy of Whatley Hall, Archerswood, Clonee admitted he was driving because he needed medication in the first instance, and claimed he was at work elsewhere on the second date and it wasn’t him who was driving.
Judge Eirinn McKiernan sentenced the defendant to four months in jail. She also banned him from driving for four years for one of the offences. She also banned him from driving for four years in respect of the other date. She took into consideration the defendant driving without a driving licence on the two dates.
The Judge said she took into consideration the way the defendant met the case, remarking she understood that people make mistakes. She noted he had two previous convictions for insurance offences, which was four in all for motor insurance.
Garda Leonard who brought the prosecutions, recalled on February 20 this year he was on mobile patrol in the Enfield area. He stopped a vehicle and requested driving licence and insurance from the driver. These weren’t produced. The defendant said he was on his way back from getting medicine when stopped. He ended up in an accident and emergency unit. He said he had no choice but to drive to get the medicine from a house. Garda Leonard told on February 23 while on beat patrol he observed the defendant drive a different car—a BMW, which dropped two men off at the bus stop outside Trim courthouse.
On March 10 at the courthouse he requested the defendant to produce documents which he failed to do. The Garda said the defendant drove directly by him and he was certain it was the same man he saw driving three days earlier. The defendant denied he was driving on this date at the location. He said he wasn’t in the car. He was at work in Enfield in a garage.
Defence solicitor Daniel Cahalane asked the Judge to dismiss the second offence. Judge McKiernan said she was satisfied with the garda evidence and convicted the defendant in respect of both dates. She fixed bail of self €300 and independent surety of €500 or cash for appeal.
