Man(35) told to get €800 in a week

A man who admitted a series of driving offences, including being behind the wheel while disqualified, has been told he has to come up with more than €800 in compensation in a week or he’s going to prison.

Michael Ward, (35), Headford House, Ardee Road, Dunleer, was before Judge John Coughlan at Dundalk District Court last week.

He pleaded guilty to 18 offences including having no insurance, hit and run and four dangerous driving offences - at the Blackrock Road, the Inner Relief Road, the Square, Blackrock and the Xerox junction on October 20 2015.

Barrister Ronan O’Carroll explained that his client had previously pleaded guilty to the ‘substantive charge’ of drink driving which arose from the same incident, and had been given a jail sentence for that. These summonses ‘arrived afterwards’ and while Ward accepts he may get a custodial sentence, he has not picked up any warrants and has turned up in court as part of his bail.

Mr O’Carroll asked that the matter be adjourned for a month ‘so a full plea in mitigation can be offered about his difficulties and the efforts he is making to address them as there are no documents about that in court today’.

But Judge Coughlan noted that Ward had been summonsed for driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance. Mr O’Carroll said his client had received a four month sentence for drink driving, in addition to a five month sentence. In total, the defendant had served seven and a half months.

The judge said no compensation had yet been paid. Gardai said the amount due was €832 which includes the victim’s witness expenses and insurance excess.

Mr O’Carroll said Ward is not working and is getting social welfare. The judge said: ‘ This happened two years ago and he’s not done anything since that. I want people compensated and I will give him a week.

‘And if he doesn’t pay it, I will extend his sentence because this has been going on for two years. I want the compensation paid as well as witness expenses and I want it all paid by next week’.

The defendant tried to tell the judge that he would not be able to do it, but Judge Coughlan said: ‘You have a load of friends - go around and collect otherwise you are going inside’.