Driver put reg plates of Toyota on a Jaguar car

A man and a woman appeared before Sligo District Court on charges arising after the car they were traveling in was stopped by gardaí last month.

Daniel Geraghty (29) of Meelragh, Dromod, Co Leitrim was before the court where he pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and fraudulently using a registration mark.

Tamara Croston (29), also of Meelragh, Dromod pleaded guilty to the possession of a knife.

The court heard the two were stopped by gardaí on April 3rd last at Cloghogue, Castlebaldwin.

Garda Patrick Ruddy said on the date in question he stopped the Jaguar X-Type Saloon with a UK registration and spoke with Geraghty who did not have a licence with him or any form of identification.

Garda Ruddy said Geraghty seemed ‘very nervous’. When a vehicle check was done with the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) if showed the number plates belonged to a Toyota Corolla.

The court was told after searching the car a knife was found under the passenger seat where Croston had been sitting. When questioned she said the knife did belong to her and was used for farming. She said the knife was in her bag and must have fallen out and underneath the seat.

Both were then conveyed to Ballymote Garda Station, where Gergahty admitted to changing the plates on the vehicle to avoid paying insurance.

The two defendants had no prior convictions.

Representing both defendants, Mr Tom MacSharry, solicitor, said Geraghty had initially panicked but then fully cooperated with gardaí. He said his client had insurance on the Toyota Corolla previously and could not afford insurance on the Jaguar so changed the plates.

Mr MacSharry said Geraghty was a aeronautical engineer and was currently not working.

Geraghty told he court he and Croston were driving to go shopping and said things were ‘unclear’ in light of lockdown.

Asked if there was a special reason why he should not be disqualified from driving, Geraghty told the court he was planning on studying a bio-pharmaceutical course in IT Sligo and he lives in a rural area.

Judge Kevin Kilrane disqualified Geraghty from driving for six months and fined him €200.

In relation to Croston, Mr MacSharry said his client had cooperated fully and had worked in healthcare.

Mr MacSharry said his client did not brandish the knife on the date in question and knew it was a dangerous weapon.

Judge Kilrane described the knife, which was produced in court, as a ‘fierce-some weapon’ and applied the Probation Act in the matter.