‘Stapled wheels’ horse man fined
RUBBER on the wheels of a carriage were tied together with staples while it was being used to carry members of the public, a court has heard.
The evidence was given as two horse and carriage operators were convicted at Dublin District Court on Friday of a number of offences.
It followed inspections by Garda Aoife Mcquillan of Bridewell Garda Station.
Craig Kennedy, 22, of St Ronan’s Park in
Clondalkin, West Dublin, was handed a two-week suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to being in control of a defective carriage at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse on February 18 last year.
This is the first time a conviction for a defective carriage for such operators has been secured.
He was also convicted and fined €200 for two offences of having no horse licence on October 7, 2022 and February, 18 last year at Guinness Storehouse.
He was also convicted and fined €100 for failing to give the name and address of the owner of the horse. Gda Mcquillan gave evidence that Kennedy and a second man, Scott Clarke, 23, were escorting members of the public around the city for a fee without permits.
The garda told the judge that the rubber on the wheels of the carriage Kennedy was operating were tied together with staples and this carriage was used to carry members of the public around the city for a fee.
She demanded Kennedy leave the area immediately as he was operating a defective vehicle.
The second horse and carriage operator, Clarke, of Blackhorse Avenue in North Dublin, was convicted and fined €300 after he pleaded guilty to not producing a valid horse licence under Section 26 of the Control of Horses Act when an inspection was carried out on October 7, 2022 by Gda Mcquillan.
A total of 14 other horse and carriage operators, who were also in court on Friday, had cases adjourned until July.