Offaly driver with no licence was in two-vehicle collision

A YOUNG man who has already been disqualified from driving will only avoid another ban if he pays €2,000 to the Society of St Vincent de Paul.

Judge Andrew Cody told Kian John Boylan (21), High Street, Belmont that he was “reluctantly” giving him that opportunity.

“He'd be very grateful for that,” said Mr Boylan's solicitor, Brian Duffy.

Mr Boylan appeared at Tullamore District Court where Mr Duffy pleaded guilty on his behalf to summonses for driving without a driving licence and driving without insurance on the R357 road at Clononymore, Offaly on September 4 last year.

Garda Conor Muldoon said a two-vehicle collision had occurred and when both drivers were asked to produce licences and insurance it was established that Mr Boylan did not have a licence because he had been disqualified.

Garda Muldoon said Mr Boylan had been the holder of a provisional licence but had convictions for driving while holding a mobile phone and not displaying L plates.

Those road traffic offences resulted in the imposition of penalty points and that in turn resulted in him being disqualified.

Defending solicitor Mr Duffy said when the six-month driving ban began Mr Boylan was unaware he was disqualified because the notification ended up at his grandmother's house. He only became aware of it when he received the summons.

The solicitor said his client worked in construction as a machine driver but he had suffered a serious accident.

Mr Duffy asked Judge Cody to be as lenient as possible and said the disqualification was not one that had been imposed by a court but was the result of penalty points being accumulated.

Judge Cody said the €2,000 for St Vincent de Paul must be paid by February 26 next and if it was not, the man was facing a ban and a fine of €750.