Latest news with #RoadTrafficAct1961
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Drunk driver from Wexford who couldn't remember how he ended up in Co Donegal is jailed
Father-of-four Martin O'Brien appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with a number of offences A Co Wexford man who couldn't remember how he ended up drunk behind the wheel of a car at the other end of the country has been jailed for a total of eight months and put off the road for 10 years. Father-of-four Martin O'Brien appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with a number of offences. It comes after an incident on June 24th last when a member of the public reported a car being driven in an erratic manner in Letterkenny. Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that O'Brien has 95 previous convictions and outlined the charges against the 43-year-old. The offences include public order, theft, dangerous driving and driving without insurance for which O'Brien had served some time in prison. Sgt Collins said Gardai received an anonymous call from a member of the public on the day after they saw a silver Vauxhall car being driven "all over the road" at Ballyraine in Letterkenny. The driver, a Martin O'Brien, of The Elms, Park Avenue, Gorey, Co Wexford, was arrested and brought to Letterkenny Garda Station. When in custody, Gardai discovered that O'Brien was not the owner of the car, he was not insured to drive the car and he also tested positive for alcohol. O'Brien was charged that at Lidl Carpark,Ballyraine, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal a public place in the said District Court Area of Letterkenny district no 1, while being a specified person as defined in section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 as amended by section 9 of the Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011, did drive a mechanically propelled vehicle while there was present in your body a quantity of alcohol such that, within 3 hours after so driving, the concentration of alcohol in your blood did exceed a concentration of 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, to wit 124 milligrams. The charge was Contrary to section 4(2)(b) & 4(5) of the Road Traffic Act 2010. He was also charged that on the same date and location he did unlawfully use a mechanically propelled vehicle without the consent of the owner or without other lawful authority. The charge was Contrary to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, (as amended by Section 65 of the Road Traffic Act, 1968, and as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act, 2006). O'Brien was also charged on the same date and place was the user of a mechanically propelled vehicle, such vehicle being one for which neither a vehicle insurer nor an exempted person would be liable for injury caused by the negligent use of said vehicle at that time and for which there was not then in force an approved policy of insurance as required by Part VI of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, as amended by Part VI of the Road Traffic Act, 1968, as amended. That charge was Contrary to Section 56(1) & (3) Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act, 2006. Solicitor for the accused, Mr Robert Ryan, told the court that his client had a long addiction to heroin and had been on a methadone programme when he previously came out of prison. He had turned to alcohol since but Mr Ryan said his client presented as a very different man from when he was arrested. He said O'Brien had suffered a number of tragedies in his life but was trying to get his life back on the straight and narrow. He added that on the day in question, O'Brien had little or no memory of the incidents and doesn't even know how he ended up in Co Donegal. The accused had put up his hands to the charges and now wanted to put them behind him. Judge Eiteain Cunningham sentenced O'Brien to a total of eight months in prison and also banned him from holding a driving licence for ten years. Stock image News in 90 Seconds - July 22nd
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Jail for drunk driver who couldn't remember how he ended up in different county
A Co Wexford man who couldn't remember how he ended up drunk behind the wheel of a car at the other end of the country has been jailed for a total of eight months and put off the road for 10 years. Father-of-four Martin O'Brien appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with a number of offences. It comes after an incident on June 24 last, when a member of the public reported a car being driven in an erratic manner in Letterkenny. Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that O'Brien has 95 previous convictions and outlined the charges against the 43-year-old. The offences include public order, theft, dangerous driving and driving without insurance for which O'Brien had served some time in prison. Sgt Collins said Gardai received an anonymous call from a member of the public on the day after they saw a silver Vauxhall car being driven "all over the road" at Ballyraine in Letterkenny. The driver, a Martin O'Brien, of The Elms, Park Avenue, Gorey, Co Wexford, was arrested and brought to Letterkenny Garda Station. When in custody, Gardai discovered that O'Brien was not the owner of the car, he was not insured to drive the car and he also tested positive for alcohol. O'Brien was charged that at Lidl Carpark, Ballyraine, Letterkenny, Co Donegal a public place in the said District Court Area of Letterkenny district no 1, while being a specified person as defined in section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 as amended by section 9 of the Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011, did drive a mechanically propelled vehicle while there was present in his body a quantity of alcohol such that, within three hours after so driving, the concentration of alcohol in his blood did exceed a concentration of 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, to wit 124 milligrams. The charge was Contrary to section 4(2)(b) & 4(5) of the Road Traffic Act 2010. He was also charged that on the same date and location he did unlawfully use a mechanically propelled vehicle without the consent of the owner or without other lawful authority. The charge was Contrary to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, (as amended by Section 65 of the Road Traffic Act, 1968, and as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act, 2006). O'Brien was also charged - on the same date and place - with being the user of a mechanically propelled vehicle, such vehicle being one for which neither a vehicle insurer nor an exempted person would be liable for injury caused by the negligent use of said vehicle at that time and for which there was not then in force an approved policy of insurance as required by Part VI of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, as amended by Part VI of the Road Traffic Act, 1968. That charge was Contrary to Section 56(1) & (3) Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act, 2006. Solicitor for the accused, Mr Robert Ryan, told the court that his client had a long addiction to heroin and had been on a methadone programme when he previously came out of prison. He had turned to alcohol since but Mr Ryan said his client presented as a very different man from when he was arrested. He said O'Brien had suffered a number of tragedies in his life but was trying to get his life back on the straight and narrow. He added that on the day in question, O'Brien had little or no memory of the incidents and doesn't even know how he ended up in Co Donegal. The accused had put up his hands to the charges and now wanted to put them behind him. Judge Eiteain Cunningham sentenced O'Brien to a total of eight months in prison and also banned him from holding a driving licence for 10 years. Sign up to the Irish Mirror's Courts and Crime newsletter here and get breaking crime updates and news from the courts direct to your inbox.
Sunday World
11-07-2025
- Sunday World
Disqualified van driver gave gardai false details when pulled over
Officers with the Roads Policing Unit in Roscommon stopped the van as part of a routine checkpoint The van that was pulled over A van driver who have gardai false details when pulled over had actually been disqualified, a quick check revealed. Officers with the Roads Policing Unit in Roscommon stopped the van as part of a routine checkpoint. 'The driver gave us false details,' gardai posted on X, 'although a quick check of our records showed that they were actually disqualified with no licence, no insurance and no CRW'. In Ireland, failing to have a valid Certificate of Roadworthiness (CRW) for certain vehicles can result in five penalty points and a court appearance. The van that was pulled over News in 90 Seconds - July 11th A CRW confirms a vehicle has passed essential safety checks. The requirement for a CRW applies to various commercial vehicles, including vans. Failure to display a current CRW is an offense under the Road Traffic Act 1961. Upon conviction, a court can impose a fine of up to €3,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three months. The penalty points are applied to the driver's license. These points can impact insurance premiums and may lead to disqualification if enough points are accumulated. Driving without a valid driving license carries significant penalties. For driving with an expired license (less than 12 months), the maximum fine is €1,000. For other cases, or if the license is expired for more than 12 months or never held, the maximum fine can be €2,000. Additionally, driving while disqualified can lead to a €5,000 fine and a maximum of six months imprisonment.
The Journal
06-07-2025
- The Journal
No prosecutions for the illegal modification of electric scooters a year on from legislation
NOBODY HAS BEEN prosecuted for the illegal modification of e-scooters, a Fine Gael TD has said, as he calls for greater enforcement on the issue. The legislation prohibiting various modifications to e-scooters was brought in last May in the Road Traffic (Electric Scooters) Regulations 2024. Within the legislation, it sets out that a person may not modify an electric scooter in a manner that compromises the safe use of the vehicle; so that the characteristics no longer correspond to the manufacturer's design specifications and information on the manufacturer's plate; or in a manner that enables the driver to alter upwards the maximum design speed, net power, or continuous rated pow. Fine Gael TD Barry Ward raised concerns about the lack of prosecutions in relation to illegal modifications on the vehicles with Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan in a parliamentary question. In response, O'Callaghan said that no prosecutions have been recorded for the offence. Advertisement Dún Laoghaire TD Barry Ward, who describes himself as a regular e-scooter user, said that anyone who had spent time walking in their local area or in Dublin city centre 'will have seen countless examples of the use of e-scooters and e-bikes in an anti-social and dangerous way, many of which have been modified to be used at greater speeds'. He said that O'Callaghan's confirmation that there have been no prosecutions shows that enforcement in the area has not caught up to the regulations. Last year's regulations state that if a person uses an electric scooter in a public place that does not comply with the regulations, the owner of the scooter is prescribed under the Road Traffic Act 1961 as committing an offence of non-compliance. A pilot scheme established by gardaí has begun to utilise a speed testing kit to establish whether an electric scooter in use in public is compliant with the speed limit of 20 km/h . Gardaí confirmed that they were planning on purchasing 'a lot more' e-scooter and e-bike speed testing kits , which will be distributed to garda stations across the country. There has been a surge in seizures of electric scooters that do not meet Irish regulations in recent months, but there appears to be a disconnect between seizures and prosecutions. Ward added that the modification of electric scooters is not only dangerous for the operator but for other road users and pedestrians. 'If it is proven that the device has been modified, this needs to be prosecuted.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
21-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Man caught for fifth time driving without insurance while serving 10-year ban is handed suspended sentence
Michael Uhrovic (46), of Landsdale Lawns, Tallaght, Dublin 24, was stopped by gardaí on September 25, 2023, at Catherine Tynan Road in Tallaght. He pleaded guilty to having no driving licence or insurance at that location and date. Tallaght District Court heard that Uhrovic has 12 previous convictions, including multiple road traffic offences. He had been disqualified from driving for four years in 2018, and again for 10 years in 2020. Barrister Ethan Foley BL, defending, said Uhrovic was apologetic and had been driving that day to collect medication from a pharmacy. He said his client had not come to garda attention since the incident and fully accepted that he should not have been driving. Mr Foley urged the court to consider a fine or a short suspended sentence 'to wake him up.' Judge Patricia McNamara convicted Uhrovic of driving without insurance, disqualified him for a further five years and imposed a €600 fine, to be paid within five months. Uhrovic also received a five-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years on his own bond of €200, with a warning that if he is caught driving again, the sentence will be activated. The offences were contrary to sections 38(1) and 38(5)(a)(i) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as substituted by section 12(b) of the Road Traffic Act, 2006 and contrary to section 56(1) & (3) Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act, 2006.
