A Loughrea man, accused of being abusive to a woman and using bully-boy tactics at a busy city centre roundabout, was fined a total of €500.
Dara Larkin with an address at 22 Droim Na Coille, Loughrea, was summoned to appear before Galway District Court last Monday where he pleaded guilty to driving without reasonable consideration at Ffrench roundabout, Moneenageisha, on November 7, 2007, however, he contested a charge of threatening and abusive behaviour.
Giving evidence, Marion Gilhooley said that she had been driving at 5.25pm from the Ffrench roundabout out onto the Dublin Road in heavy traffic. When she got nearer to the g Hotel, where the two traffic lanes merged, a “jeep came out of nowhere” and revved up to get out in front of her. When Larkin managed to get his jeep in front Ms Gilhooley got out of her vehicle and told him that she was going to report him to the Gardai.
“His reply was ‘would you ever f**k off’. He said it with such vengeance that I felt intimidated and bullied. I felt he was going to hit me with his jeep,” said Ms Gilhooley.
Larkin told the court that he strongly believed he had the right of way on the road but that a car behind him started revving and beeping. When the traffic started moving again he heard a “slap on the back” of his jeep but couldn’t make out what the woman was saying. He admitted that his response had been “unmannerly” but it had been a defensive action and he had not been “intimidating or frightening”.
“Your jeep came at her and you pushed your way in there. You wouldn’t admit to the charge unless you did,” said Judge Mary Fahy who added that the language Larkin used was abusive.
“Had she reacted there could have been a breach of the peace. If he apologised and put his hands up I would take a different view,” said Judge Fahy who fined the defendant a total of €500 and ordered him to pay €100 witness expenses.
