Motorist had 20 previous car insurance convictions on record

A MAN with more than 20 motor insurance convictions on his record had two more added to the list when he was produced before Gorey District Court.

Accused Patrick Kinsella (40) from Raheengraney, Clonegal, was brought from prison in Portlaoise to deal with cases brought by four different gardaí.

He pleaded guilty to motoring offences, a theft and one count of handling a stolen lap-top computer which had been taken in a burglary.

A summary of the facts was provided to the judge by Sergeant Victor Isdell.

He admitted handling the computer, worth €500, at Drumgoold in Enniscorthy on Christmas Day in 2016.

He was seen driving without insurance at Kilnahue in Gorey on November 21 last year.

The court heard that he took four cans of Smirnoff cola from the EuroSpar in Bunclody on January 21, without paying.

The most serious matter arose from after Garda James Kileen noticed Kinsella driving a Honda car in Bunclody on September 18.

Realising that the defendant was disqualified, the garda and a colleague approached the vehicle on the town’s Main Street.

One of them had to jump out of the way as the accused took off at high speed in the direction of Ballon, overtaking in a dangerous manner as he did so.

Judge Brian O’Shea described the number of previous convictions for having no insurance as breath-taking.

For the offence at Kilnahue, a three month sentence was imposed, with four months consecutive for the offence in Bunclody.

Kinsella was disqualified from holding a driving licence for six years and all other matters, including dangerous driving, were marked ‘taken into consideration’.