Suspended sentence for fourth no insurance incident

A POLISH national managed to avoid jail at Kenmare District Court this week because the last incident was eight years old.

Judge David Waters said this week that he could see no reason why he wouldn’t impose a jail sentence on Maciej Ciolek of 3 Elm Close, Pairc na Gloine, Kenmare, for his fourth no insurance incident, which took place on May 27, 2015, at Gortamullen, Kenmare. The case had been adjourned to allow him to prove he had insurance, but he brought proof of insurance for another vehicle.

Judge Waters said that he would not adjourn the case again. The court heard that Mr Ciolek had three previous no insurance charges before and had been disqualified from driving previously for driving without insurance. Solicitor Conor Murphy said that in this fourth incident he had only used the car for minding his children and his last no insurance prior to this dated back to 2010. He was not disqualified from driving when this fourth incident occurred.

Mr Murphy said his client had returned to Poland to look after his father and was back and facing up to matters.

Judge Waters convicted and gave him a four-month suspended sentence for the offence and said in normal circumstances he would impose a custodial sentence.

He would not do so because his previous incident was eight years old. Mr Ciolek was also convicted and fined on other road traffic matters relating to the 2015 incident.