Four year disqualification
A 21-year-old man who was stopped driving without insurance on two separate occasions has been disqualified from driving for four years at Drogheda District Court.
Dean Thornton with an address at Beechwood Drive, Marleys Lane was stopped by gardaí on September 1st, 2018 on the Termonfeckin Road. He had no insurance for the car and no driving licence at the time.
The following month, on Ocotber 29th, he was stopped by gardaí at Crosslanes in Drogheda when he was found to be driving with no driving licence and no insurance for the vehicle.
The court heard Thornton has a previous conviction for driving without a driving licence in February 2016.
Defence solicitor James Allen said his client is a single father of one who worked fulltime as a larbourer until last year. He has been out of work since then.
He said all the incident happened within a short space of time and Thornton has been off the road since. ‘He took a chance,’ said Mr Allen. ‘He will need a car in future for work and family purposes. His insurance will be significantly loaded as a result of this. I’m asking you to be as lenient as possible.’
Asked by Judge Eirinn McKiernan for an explanation as to why the defendant was driving without a licence or insurance, Mr Allen said in one instance he took his mother’s car to visit his father on the other side of town.
He said they had been as a result of ‘absolute foolishness’ on his clients part.
‘ This happened in September 2018 and he still doesn’t have a driving licence. He’s a terribly foolish man,’ Judge McKiernan remarked.
She imposed a fine of €150 for driving without insurance on September 1st and €150 for no insurance on October 29th and disqualified Thornton for driving for four years.
The Judge said she would take all other matters into consideration.