A man seen by gardai with a mobile phone to his ear whilst driving managed to avoid a conviction in the District Court this week (February 17 ) after convincing the judge he’d only picked up his non-operational handset off his dashboard when a ringtone went off on the radio.
The court heard Garda evdence of how 51-year-old farmer, Michael Doolin of the Derries, Bonavalley, Athlone was seen at Kilmacoo on the Dublin Road on August 19 “on the phone while driving”.
According to his solicitor, Mr Donal Keigher, Mr Doolin told the arresting garda he had not been on the phone at the time.
“Mr Doolin needed the phone because he was looking after an elderly neighbour. The phone was on the dashboard and when a phone rang on the radio he thought it was his,” said Mr Keigher.
“That’s a novel excuse on the Joe Duffy Show,” said an amused Judge John Neilan.
“It was far from mobile phones we were reared.”
“It wasn’t mine. The family bought it for me,” said Mr Dillon.
“Oh yes,” said the judge.
“Do you remember when farmers always had mobile phones to call the cattle in for milking?”
He then dismissed Dillon’s charge without prejudice.
