This article is from page 5 of the 2006-02-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 5 JPG
A GARDA sergeant, who stopped to play good Samaritan to a motorist in trouble, found he had to book him instead.
And when Shannon-based Sgt Dermot O’Connor brought summonses for no insurance, tax or driving licence against Martin McDonagh of 44 Ard Alainn in Ballybane, Galway, he discovered that the man had 68 previous convictions, 60 of them for road traffic offences and was disqualified from driving at the time.
Sgt O’Connor told Ennis District Court that while off-duty, he was driving when he saw the defendant overtake him and then pull in to the side of the road, as if he had broken down.
“I went to see if I could help him and saw that he had no tax or insurance and he did not have a driver’s licence,” said Sgt O’Connor.
His record showed that he had 68 previous convictions, 60 of which applied to offences under the Road Traffic Act.
His solicitor said that McDonagh was just 21 years old and was currently serving a 19 month sentence due to end in August.
“He had bought the car just a short time previously and he was driving from Galway to visit relatives in Shannon,” the solicitor said.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy imposed a sentence of six months for having no insurance and ruled it should start after the completion of his current sentence.