Man with ‘horrendous record’ has his case adjourned

The case against a man with a ‘ horrendous record’ accused of driving with no insurance has been adjourned to May to allow time for the preparation of a Probation Report.

Jason Rogers was accused of driving with no driving licence or insurance on January 22nd, 2020.

Evidence was given that on the date in question gardaí stopped a Mitsubishi jeep towing a horsebox on the R132 at Drogheda County Louth.

The court heard Rogers has 63 previous convictions and was disqualified from driving at the time of the incident.

Defence solicitor Dermot Monahan said the defendant was fully co-operative on the day and told gardaí he had been getting a horse for his son.

He said Rogers has been a heroin addict since early childhood and this had taken a huge toll on him and he had lost an eye as a result of his addiction.

‘He tells me he never got the chance to engage with the Probation Services because of his addiction,’ said Mr Monahan.

He said Rogers main focus in life is horses and he wanted to buy one for his son but had no one to collect it on the day.

Mr Monahan said his client was a man who has overcome a heroin addiction and is now completely drug free ‘a huge achievement’.

He said Rogers was pleading guilty and didn’t mislead the gardaí in any way when he was stopped.

However, Judge Eirinn McKiernan said Rogers was driving without insurance and pulling a horsebox at the time.

‘What about other road users?’ she asked. ‘It doesn’t matter what he was getting, he shouldn’t be on the road.’

She adjourned the case to May 8th to allow time for the preparation of a Probation Report and Community Service assessment but said she was not guaranteeing anything.

‘He has a horrendous record and couldn’t expect anything but a custodial sentence,’ she said. ‘I’ll put it back for a Probation Report to see if what you’re saying is the case but I’m not guaranteeing anything.’