Suspended sentence and six-year ban for Kilkenny driver
The defendant has two previous convictions for no insurance
A motorist who drove while disqualified was handed down a three-month suspended sentence at Kilkenny District Court and was banned from driving for six years.
Patryk Granzul, Apt 2 Harrington Bookmakers, Green Street, Callan, Co Kilkenny was convicted of the offence at Castle Gardens, Kilkenny City on August 26, 2020.
The court heard that on the date in question gardaí were carrying out a checkpoint at Kilkenny Castle. The defendant turned into a nearby housing estate, Castle Gardens .
Gardaí followed the car and demanded to see production of insurance from the driver.
The court heard that a garda did a check on the garda mobility app and that it appeared that the defendant was disqualified from driving at the time.
Solicitor Ed Hughes told the court that on the date in question the defendant’s friend was tired and he ‘took over the driving’ adding that it is ‘a very short drive from Callan to Kilkenny City’.
“He was ignorant of the meaning of a disqualification and he heard that he had got a fine,” Mr Hughes said referring to the fact that at the time of the offence his client was disqualified from driving.
The court heard that the defendant has two previous convictions for no insurance under section 56 of The Road Traffic Act.
Judge Geraldine Carthy described the offending behaviour as ‘a flagrant breach of the law’.
The judge convicted the defendant of having no insurance and no valid driving licence on the date in question.
She imposed a three-month prison sentence, which she suspended subject to a number of conditions.
The judge also disqualified the defendant from driving for a period of six years.