A man with three previous driving bans was disqualified for a year in the District Court this week (December 1 ), after he was stopped on a motorcycle in Bawnogue, Moate without insurance on January 30.
Thomas Ledwith (31 ), an unemployed plasterer from Shurrock, Moate pleaded guilty to the charge, and when his previous convictions were read to the court, it transpired he had been convicted twice in 2002 for drink driving, and once that same year on a charge of driving without insurance. All three convictions came with a driving ban, with a four year ban being imposed in September that year for the second drink driving conviction.
In mitigation, Mark Cooney accepted his client’s record was “very poor”.
“He has shown a disregard for the law in the past,” said Mr Cooney.
Judge John Lindsay took note of this before sentencing Ledwith to three months in jail, suspending it for 12 months. He also disqualified him for one year, as well as fining him €200 for having no licence.
“With a record like that, if you drive again while uninsured you’re probably facing a prison sentence,” said the judge.
