Man drove backwards up Kilkenny City one-way street - court told

Driving backwards, the wrong direction along a one-way street resulted in a court appearance for one motorist.

Salim Saidovich Rasulov, Dawson’s Cottage, Booly, Ballymac, Kilkenny, pleaded guilty to charges of driving without a licence or insurance, at Kilkenny District Court.

Sergeant Morgan O’Connor said that on August 5, 2025, gardaí observed a vehicle reversing up James Street, in Kilkenny City, against the flow of traffic.

Mr Rasulov was stopped. Gardaí demanded his driving documents which he failed to produce at a garda station within 10 days.

He did not have a driving licence at the time.

Solicitor Tertius Van Eeden said his client wanted to reverse to get to a shop.

Sergeant O’Connor pointed out it was a pedestrian street.

Mr Van Eeden said his client was from Ukraine and, at the time of this offence, did not know insurance regulations in Ireland differed from his home country. On the day he was driving a friend’s vehicle with his permission and had a ‘green card’ which in Ukraine means he would be insured to do this. He now knows it is not the same here.

Judge Geraldine Carthy convicted Mr Rasulov and disqualified him from driving for two years. He was also fined €300.