Sawmill worker was driving ‘jalopy’ with no lights and child in back

A sawmill worker who drove a “jalopy” with no front lights and an unrestrained child in the back had a ‘cavalier’ attitude to road laws, a court was told. 

Eric Delaney (37) of 72 Cherrygrove, Knockmay, Portlaoise admitted driving without insurance, having no front lights and having a child unrestrained at Cherrygrove on February 5, 2025. 

Garda Stephen O’Hanlon said he stopped the 08 registered silver Ford Focus and discovered a 9-year-old child unrestrained in the back at 9.55pm. “The two dipped headlights were gone on the vehicle,” said Garda O’Hanlon. The court was told the man had 26 previous convictions. 

Solicitor Barry Fitzgerald conceded that there were “many aggravating features” in the case. He said his client, who was originally from Ballyfermot in Dublin, was driving his partner's car on the date in question and there was “all sorts wrong with it”. He said the man “displayed a cavalier attitude to the road traffic laws” on the date.

Mr Fitzgerald asked the court to give credit for the early guilty plea and said the man won’t trouble the court again. He said the man works in a sawmills and pays €200 maintenance every week for his children.

Judge Andrew Cody said the defendant was “driving what can only be described as a 2008 jalopy” when he was stopped. “To add to the danger he had his daughter in the back of the car,” said Judge Cody.

He said the consequences could have been very severe had there been an accident. He imposed a five month sentence suspended for three years, a four year driving ban and fines totaling €1,900.