Latest news with #drivingban
BreakingNews.ie
14 hours ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Former TD Colm Keaveney banned from driving for four years
Former Labour and Fianna Fáil TD Colm Keaveney has been banned from driving for four years after refusing to provide a blood or urine sample to gardaí following a late-night incident in Boyle, Co Roscommon. Keaveney (54), of Milltown Road, Tuam, Co Galway pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen under Section 12 of the Road Traffic Act and failing to stop after a collision. Advertisement Appearing before Carrick-on-Shannon District Court on Tuesday, Judge Sandra Murphy imposed a €250 fine and a four-year disqualification from driving. Other charges, including no insurance and no licence, were struck out after he produced valid documents. The incident occurred on October 11th, 2024, when gardaí observed a Ford Focus being driven without lights through Boyle. The vehicle veered across the road and collided with a car waiting at a junction, but did not stop. When approached, Keaveney appeared intoxicated, was unsteady on his feet, had glassy eyes, and smelled of alcohol. Advertisement He was arrested and brought to Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station, where he refused to provide a blood or urine sample to a designated doctor despite a formal demand. His solicitor said Keaveney had been under significant personal strain, including the recent deaths of both parents and ongoing chronic pain from spinal surgery. She said he had no previous criminal convictions and had asked to see his own doctor at the station, which was not possible. A long-time figure in politics, Keaveney was elected to the Dáil in 2011 as a Labour TD for Galway East. He lost the party whip in 2012 over a vote of conscience on a Government plan to cut an annual care grant as part of the 2013 budget and later joined Fianna Fáil, becoming the first sitting TD to cross directly between the two parties. He lost his Dáil seat in 2016 and later served one term on Galway County Council.
Irish Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Former TD Colm Keaveney banned from driving for four years for refusing to provide sample to Garda
Former Labour and Fianna Fáil TD Colm Keaveney has been banned from driving for four years after refusing to provide a blood or urine sample to gardaí following a late-night incident in Boyle, Co Roscommon. Keaveney (54), of Milltown Road, Tuam, Co Galway appeared before Judge Sandra Murphy at Carrick-on-Shannon District Court on Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to two offences: failing to provide a specimen under Section 12 of the Road Traffic Act and failing to stop after a collision. The incident occurred on October 11th, 2024, when gardaí observed a Ford Focus being driven without lights through Boyle. READ MORE The vehicle veered across the road and collided with a car waiting at a junction, but did not stop. It was later pulled over on St Patrick Street. When approached, Keaveney appeared intoxicated, was unsteady on his feet, had glassy eyes, and smelled of alcohol. He was arrested and brought to Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station, where he refused to provide a blood or urine sample to a designated doctor despite a formal demand. His solicitor said Keaveney had been under significant personal strain, including the recent deaths of both parents and ongoing chronic pain from spinal surgery. She said he had no previous criminal convictions and had asked to see his own doctor at the station, which was not possible. He is a father of three, including an infant. 'Mr Keaveney is not the sort of person you expect to see before the court,' she said, citing his background and cooperation. Judge Murphy imposed a €250 fine and a four-year disqualification from driving. Other charges, including no insurance and no licence, were struck out after he produced valid documents. A long-time figure in politics, Keaveney began his political career on Tuam Town Council in 1999 and was elected to the Dáil in 2011 as a Labour TD for Galway East. He lost the party whip in 2012 over a vote of conscience on a Government plan to cut to an annual care grant as part of the 2013 budget and later joined Fianna Fáil, becoming the first sitting TD to cross directly between the two parties. He lost his Dáil seat in 2016 and later served one term on Galway County Council.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Delighted Helen Flanagan declares she's back to her 'normal self' and 'living in the Starbucks drive-thru' after return of her driving licence following six month ban
Helen Flanagan has declared that she's 'back to normal herself' and 'living in the Starbucks drive-thru' after the return of her driving licence following a six month ban. Back in January, the ex Corrie actress, 34, t old the court her ex boyfriend Robbie Talbot was driving her £66,000 Audi Q7 when it was caught speeding twice. She was subsequently barred from the roads for six months, despite claiming she was struggling financially and would not be able to afford taxis to get her children to school. After being snapped back behind the wheel of her pricey motor last week, a delighted Helen took to her Instagram Stories to update her followers on Monday. She gushed: 'I am so happy that I have got my driving licence back, I was nervous at first for like the first ten minutes I was like "It's so weird to be driving again" but now I just absolutely love it'. 'Back to my normal. I feel like I am back to myself now i'm back to the Trafford Centre and back living at the Starbucks drive-thru and I just feel like myself'. After being snapped back behind the wheel of her pricey motor with a coffee last week (pictured) a delighted Helen took to her Instagram Stories to update her followers on Monday In a chaotic social media post last month, Helen complained what a 'pain in the a***' it had been without a car and had been unable to run errands or go shopping for essentials due to living so remotely. Taking to her Instagram Stories she explained her ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) had caused her to mix up paperwork to reapply for her licence, meaning the process would now be delayed further. 'I literally can't tell you what a pain in the a*** not having [my driving licence] because I live in the middle of nowhere, and of course I haven't been driving'. 'It's just been so b****y annoying, for example we are out of loo roll now and I can't pop out to the shops to get loo roll so my friend has to bring me loo roll'. In court Helen said her isolated moorland home meant it was a 10-minute drive even to go to the shops to buy bread and milk, and that she would 'really struggle without a car' in the remote location. The actress, who lives near Bolton, Greater Manchester, said she earned £70,000 last year – but said her income varies and that she could not afford a £10 taxi to take her son to nursery. Prosecutor Stephen Kirk told how Helen, who already had six penalty points for speeding, failed to declare who had been driving the car when it was caught speeding at locations on Merseyside in June last year, doing 42mph in a 30mph limit and 51mph in a 40mph limit. Magistrates gave her six more points for each offence - taking her total to 18 points, well above the 12-point threshold when magistrates normally impose a ban unless there is 'exceptional hardship'. Helen was barred for six months, despite claiming she was struggling financially and would not be able to afford taxis to get her kids to school (pictured outside court) Making her doomed plea to keep her licence, Helen said at the time: 'I am so sorry. I stupidly thought it was acceptable for my boyfriend to explain he was the one driving and it wasn't me.' Helen told the court how she is a 'full-time' mother to children Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and Charlie, three, using the car to take them to nursery, school and activities. She said: 'My job really is being a mum at home. Their dad works away. It's really difficult at the moment now for me to be earning money. I earn money on social media but it kind of varies what I earn.' She added: 'I think there might be a perception maybe that I would easily be able to afford a driver but that's quite far from the case. 'I've got enough money in my account to pay off my tax and my VAT and basically that's about it.' Asked by solicitor, Patrick Boyers, how she takes her son Charlie to his nursery without a car, she said: 'The other way to get Charlie to nursery is by Uber (taxi). That would be really expensive. I'm really struggling at the moment, financially.' Asked by the clerk how much it cost, she said: 'I did get an Uber from my house to the nursery this morning. It cost £10 that time.' She also claimed her son 'doesn't do so well in a taxi' and that he's 'much better strapped into a car where he's safe'.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
NEWS OF THE WEEK: Emma Watson banned from driving for six months
The Harry Potter star was slapped with the ban in High Wycombe Magistrates' Court, after admitting to driving at 38mph in a 30mph zone in Oxford on 31 July 2024. Watson, 35, was later charged by post and pleaded guilty to the offence in March. During Wednesday's sentencing, the court heard that she already had nine penalty points on her licence before the speeding incident occurred. In the U.K., a person can be temporarily disqualified from driving after getting 12 or more points on her licence.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Paul Ince banned from road after admitting drink-driving
Former England captain Paul Ince has been banned from driving and ordered to pay £7,085 after admitting drink-driving. The 57-year-old appeared at Chester Magistrates' Court on Friday where he admitted driving his black Range Rover while over the limit on June 28 in Neston, Cheshire. District Judge Jack McGarva told Ince: 'The message has got to be if you're going to drive you don't drink at all.' He was banned from driving for 12 months, fined £5,000 and ordered to pay a £2,000 statutory surcharge and £85 costs. Arriving at court, he signed an autograph with a fan and posed for a selfie with another. Ince had a reading of 49 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath when he was stopped by police after driving on Chester High Road, the court heard. The legal limit of alcohol for driving in England is 35 microgrammes per 100 millilitres. Read more: Reading: Halfords opens Reading Retail Park Oxford Road Nigel Jones, prosecuting, said: 'On the day in question, the defendant was witnessed by an off-duty police officer driving a vehicle perceived to be swerving across the road.' He said the car swerved across the central reservation, hitting bollards and causing two tyres to burst. The car then pulled into a petrol station where police officers attended. Frank Rogers, defending, said: 'My client finds himself today facing the huge impact of a ban, but he accepts he only has himself to blame for that. 'He misjudged the fact he believed at the time he would be under the limit.' Mr Rogers said Ince had been at Heswall Golf Club for a competition and had not eaten before having two drinks in the clubhouse. Read more: Reading: McCafferty's Irish bar on Friar Street is open He said: 'He felt fine to drive, of course we now know that he shouldn't have done.' He said that as he was driving home, Ince approached a roundabout at about 20mph when his phone slipped and he instinctively reached for it and veered the car, clipping the kerb. He said: 'The vehicle didn't collide with the bollards. He's clipped both sides of the island, damaging tyres.' He said an alert came up on the car about the tyre pressure and Ince pulled into a garage where he inspected the damage, called his wife and was about to call the Range Rover assist helpline when police arrived. Mr Rogers said Ince had been driving for 39 years and had three points on his licence. He is a frequent visitor and supporter to the Future Youth Zone charity in Dagenham, where he grew up, and also supports Claire House Children's Hospice in Wirral, he said. Mr Rogers outlined Ince's playing career and said he then went into management. He added: 'He now does a limited amount of media work and charity work.' He said Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, wished to apologise to the court. District Judge McGarva said: 'I am going to presume he has substantial assets, given the playing career you have outlined to me.' Mr Rogers said: 'He may well have substantial assets but certainly not substantial income.' As he left court, Ince handed a piece of paper to a reporter with a picture of the central reservation and bollards on. The former West Ham, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Liverpool midfielder won 53 caps for his country. After retiring, he moved into management, most recently working for Reading between 2022 and 2023. Images
