Insurance offence was an ‘act of complete stupidity’

AN ENNISCORTHY man who drove without insurance accepted it was an ‘act of complete stupidity’, his solicitor told Arklow District Court last Wednesday.

Thomas Brady of 98 Shingan, Milehouse Road, Enniscorthy, was charged with driving without insurance and failure to produce an insurance certificate at Ballyrogan Lower, Arklow, on November 15, 2017.

Solicitor Pauric Hyland told the court that his client accepted the ‘act of complete stupidity on his part’ and said that it was not his intention to drive the vehicle but that had to make an emergency trip to be with his son in Co Cavan.

Brady told the court that he did not set out to drive uninsured and that, following a previous period of disqualification, he bought a car and went about getting an insurance policy. He said that nobody would insure him and that he would never have bought the vehicle had he known this beforehand.

Mr Hyland said that his client is ‘gainfully employed and comes from a good family’.

‘There is no ban on stupidity just because a person comes from a good family,’ replied Judge David Kennedy.

The matter was adjourned to November 14 for a community service report but the judge warned that the defendant is facing ‘a lot of hours, a lengthy disqualification and a large fine’.