Prison sentence handed down to repeat offender at Kilkenny court

A defendant who drove while disqualified was sentenced to four months in prison and banned from driving for eight years.

Edward O’Reilly, 2 St Mary’s Crescent, Hebron Halting Site, Kilkenny is accused of driving without insurance and a driving licence at New Road, Kilkenny on February 22, 2023. On the date in question gardaí were on patrol and stopped the vehicle which was been driven by the defendant at New Road, Kilkenny.

The defendant produced a driving licence to gardaí which showed that he was disqualified at the time and he was subsequently arrested for having no insurance and no driving licence. The court heard that the defendant has 41 previous convictions including for theft and burglary and no insurance.

The defendant has four previous convictions for no insurance including in 2021 when he was disqualified from driving for having no insurance for six years.

Solicitor Chris Hogan said that his client wished to apologise to the court.

“Sorry, I apologise, it won’t happen again,” said Mr O’Reilly to the judge.

“He accepted that he should not have got into the car on the date in question,” added Mr Hogan.

The defendant was also convicted of burglary at Creamers Grove, Ballyfoyle, Co Kilkenny.

Judge Geraldine Carthy imposed a six month sentence in respect of the burglary charge. Both sentences are to run concurrently.