A Ballybane man, with 56 previous convictions including a 15 year disqualification in 2003, fled the scene of a minor road traffic accident and hid for hours in a hospital mortuary, the Galway District Court heard this week.
A van owned by Martin McDonagh and towing a trailer had just pulled out of Merlin Park Stores before colliding with a car. It then swung out onto the other side of the road where it collided with an on-coming vehicle. Knowing that he had no insurance McDonagh then fled the scene and hid in the mortuary at Merlin Park hospital for several hours.
McDonagh of 19 Sliabh Rua, Ballybane, was summoned to appear at Galway District Court last Monday where he pleaded guilty to a number of hit and run offences, driving without insurance or driving licence, failure to produce both document, and non display of a disc at Dublin Road, on June 19, 2008.
Inspector Sean Glynn told the court that following the collision with the second vehicle McDonagh got out through the back of his van and stayed at the mortuary for several hours before sneaking back later to try to collect his van.
When caught and questioned by gardai McDonagh claimed that he had left because of the fear of having no insurance.
The court then heard that McDonagh has 56 previous convictions including a five year disqualification in January 2008 for driving without insurance, a 15 year disqualification in March 2005, and a 13 year disqualification in 2003 for the same offence.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that it was her client’s alcoholic difficulties which got him into trouble.
She said that father of eight had been doing extremely well but had fallen off the wagon at the time of the offence.
Ms Corcoran added that McDonagh had been requested to deliver kitchen doors and took the chance.
Judge Mary Fahy convicted and sentenced the defendant to a total of six months and disqualified him from driving for four years.
