Judge Joanne Carroll said she took a ‘dim view’ of a case after a man from Eyeries misled the court by claiming he had valid motor insurance.
The judge made the comment at a sitting of Bantry District Court, dealing with the case against Ryan Quirke (26) of Boofickil, Eyeries.
The accused was charged with driving without insurance on August 20th and September 9th last, and with two counts of driving while disqualified on the same dates.
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At a previous court sitting earlier in December, the accused repeatedly told his solicitor, Colette McCarthy, that a previous insurance conviction was erroneously recorded against him in November 2023 because he was not in court when the case was heard.
Judge Carroll adjourned the case to allow the gardaí check out the accused's claim that he had insurance.
When this was shown not to be the case, Judge Carroll reminded the accused that she had cautioned him to discuss the situation truthfully with his solicitor and not come before the court with 'a charade’.
She said he had been correctly convicted of driving without insurance and had recently put the gardaí to the extra trouble of ascertaining if the policy was valid.
'He knew his premium had lapsed and he brazened it out to the very last second,' said the judge.
'This man has driven without insurance on more than one occasion. And when it came to the court process, he was not truthful.'
To his credit, the judge acknowledged Ms McCarthy's comments that her client has a good work ethic, and has secured employment driving machinery on a site in Cork city but not on the public road.
On the charges of driving without insurance, on August 20th and September 23rd, the accused was ordered to pay a €500 fine on each, and was disqualified from driving for a period of four years.
On the charges of driving while disqualified on both of these occasions, the accused was sentenced to three months’ jail, but both were suspended for a period of 12 months.
'This man must understand that if he commits an offence he will have to serve that sentence,' the judge concluded.
'There was no need for lying or deception, you just put your hands up,' she told Ryan Quirke.
'I hope you will learn from this and keep your affairs in order.'
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.
