Durrow farm worker drove uninsured

A farm worker who admitted driving uninsured for a third time has been given a suspended sentence. 

Nicolae Iordache, 29, with an address at Fermoyle, Durrow admitted driving without insurance or a licence at Morrett, Portlaoise on April 4, 2023. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant had 13 previous convictions two of which were for driving without insurance. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client had immediately admitted to having no licence when stopped. She said he was a Romanian who had been living in Ireland for four years and was working on a farm in Durrow. 

She acknowledged that it was a “very serious matter” to appear before the court on a third occasion for not having insurance. 

“There was a car that was being sent to Romania and he was asked to drive it,” said Ms Fitzpatrick. 

She said the man’s employer had written a reference and she asked the court to take into account the man’s earlier plea of guilty. 

Judge Andrew Cody imposed a four month prison sentence which he suspended for two years. He disqualified the man from driving for five years and fined him €500.