Judge doesn’t accept non-appearance

Judge Derek Cooney commented he didn’t understand when informed that a solicitor was not appearing for a 25-year-old local businessman on motor insurance and driving licence charges at Trim District Court.

The sitting of the court on Tuesday was told that solicitors were not representing clients in legal aid cases due to the dispute over the reform of the scheme and introduction of a flat rate payment for cases.

The Judge remarked this was a “different kettle of fish” of a privately funded case. He asked the man had he paid the solicitor to represent him in this case. The defendant said he paid the solicitor for other things.

He was with the solicitor the previous day, and said she couldn’t ring him until after 4:30 that day,

Judge Cooney said he was not satisfied with the explanation about the situation, but the case was proceeding.

Aaron Dunne a father of one of Hardacre, Phillinstown, Trim was summonsed for driving without a driving licence and not being insured.

The prosecution was brought by Garda Jill Mangan. She told she followed and stopped the defendant at the Ring Road in the town on November 23 last. The driving licence he produced was not valid, and he wasn’t covered by insurance as it was revealed to the court the defendant was disqualified at the time.

Noel Leech who represented the defendant said the defendant made a mistake. He couldn’t exactly remember when he received the disqualification. He was bringing a car to a mechanic.

The defendant ran his own business and had a driver and the defendant paid for the insurance. The defendant had learned his lesson.

Judge Cooney didn’t accept the defendant made a mistake. People who came before him with no previous convictions he didn’t disqualify them because humans made

mistakes, but this was a third time the defendant had offended under the road traffic act.

He imposed a five-month jail sentence on the defendant, suspended it for 18 months, as well as fining the defendant €1,000 and banned him from driving for two years.