Lost control of car and was involved in a head-on collision

A driver who lost control of a friend’s car he was driving was fined €250 at Sligo District Court for careless driving. Shaun McEvilly (30) of 5 Cloonagh, Keash, who had faced a charge of dangerous driving arising from the crash on August 15 th 2017 at Ardsallagh, Ballymote was also fined and banned from driving for six months for not having insurance on March 11 th 2018 at Coagh, Ballymote.

At the outset of the case, Mr Tom MacSharry, solicitor (defending) told the court the defendant was prepared to plead to a charge of careless driving. Inspector Donal Sweeney told the court that the crash occurred on a dry evening on a straight stretch of road. The defendant was driving a Mini Cooper and he had veered out of control having gone on to the grass verge after rounding a bend. He veered to the other side of the road and car skidded into an oncoming Passatt whose driver had brought his car to stop. The mini ended up embedded in the ditch, added the Inspector. Mr MacSharry said the defendant was driver his sister’s boyfriend’s car and had just lost control. With regard to the insurance matter, Mr MacSharry pleaded that the defendant had a policy but it didn’t cover him. McEvilly drove for a living, he added. Judge Kevin Kilrane said the driving did amount of dangerous driving but he was prepared to reduce the charge to one of careless driving and imposed a fine of €200. For not having insurance the defendant, who had previous convictions, was fined €300 and banned for six months, the ban taking effect from March 1st next to allow the defendant take up work he had lined up over the winter.

Judge Kilrane said he had no option but to disqualify. In circumstances where the defendant was already subject to a dangerous driving charge one would imagine with his record also and being involved in a life threatening crash that he would have been particularly careful of his driving, he said.