Offaly lorry driver with nine penalty points seeks adjournment of motor insurance case
Court hears man had son's car when garda sergeant noticed it had no insurance
A LORRY driver is attempting to have finalisation of a prosecution for having no insurance postponed because he is already on nine penalty points.
Brian Byrne (50), Lavagh, Lusmagh, Banagher, appeared before Tullamore District Court in relation to a summons which alleged having no insurance at Main Street, Birr on December 23 last year.
Sergeant Donal Casey told the court that at 12.35pm on that date he saw a parked red Ford Focus and when he spoke to Mr Byrne the man said he had no insurance.
Sergeant Casey said the man had three previous convictions and they were all for road traffic matters.
He had driven through a red light in 2023 and in 2008 he had been convicted of speeding and a breach of a vehicle weight restriction.
Mr Byrne's defence counsel, David Nugent, said the accused man was an insured lorry driver and he had bought the car that day for his son.
Because he was currently on nine penalty points, another conviction now would put him over the limit for driving.
Addressing Judge Andrew Cody, Mr Nugent added that Mr Byrne had insurance on his own car and he asked that the matter be adjourned for a year to allow him to continue driving in the meantime.
Judge Cody said that if details of Mr Byrne's penalty points were brought before the court on July 17 next he would deal with the adjournment application.
Mr Nugent said he would have proof of his own insurance in court that day as well.