Man already banned for 15 years facing very serious sanctions

A man who was already banned from driving for 15 years was stopped by gardai at a checkpoint at 1.15 in the morning.

Gary Glynn (31), Dereenavoggy, Arigna, Co Roscommon pleaded guilty at Carrick-on-Shannon District Court to charges of no insurance, no licence, non display of tax and failing to wear a seat belt at Kingsfort, Ballintogher, Co Sligo at 1.15am on October 6 last year.

The vehicle was seized and fixed charge penalty notices were issued for non display of tax and failure to wear a seat belt but were unpaid.

The court heard the defendant had previously been banned for 15 years on charges including no insurance and being drunk in charge and was actually banned from driving when the matters before the court emerged.

He has five previous convictions for no insurance and three for drink driving, with a total of 24 previous convictions.

Judge Sandra Murphy said the defendant was a young man to have accumulated so many serious offences.

Defence solicitor Niamh McGovern described it as a bad case and said the defendant had taken a chance and knows he should not have driven.

The solicitor said there was a pattern of offences and “we need to get to the bottom of this and see why it is happening”.

Ms McGovern said her client was willing to do the pro-social driving course which “may be a start” and suggested a probation report might also be helpful.

The defendant is a father of two and had been working on the buildings but was “now off the road for a long time”.

The solicitor asked the judge to allow the defendant to deal with this as he was facing very serious sanctions.

Judge Murphy said community service orders and prison was not working.

She said she was adjourning the case to September 23 for a probation report and sentencing, describing it as “a very serious matter”.