A Gort man who dangerously swerved in front of a 40 feet articulated lorry at a busy traffic junction before flicking his middle finger at the driver was fined €600 and disqualified from driving for two years at Galway District Court this week.
Dermot Donavan (28 ) with an address at 29 Crowe Street, Gort, pleaded guilty on Monday to dangerous driving at Claregalway village on June 15, 2009.
The court heard that there had been a long 40 feet articulated lorry in one lane and the defendant drove up past the lorry in the right hand land but suddenly drove out in front of the lorry in the other lane. The lorry driver was then forced to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision while Donavan was said to have “flicked a middle finger”.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that her client knows that he is in the wrong for making such a manoeuvre on the road and that he did it because he had wanted to take the lane for Tuam. She stressed that Donovan denies ever sticking up his middle finger at the lorry driver.
“What he did was dangerous,” said Judge Mary Fahy.
Inspector Ernie White said that Donavan has 16 previous convictions for an assault causing harm in April 2008, a number of public order offences, and two counts of driving without insurance in 2002.
Judge Fahy ordered Donavan to pay witness expenses of €100 as well as a fine of €600 with four months to pay. Donavan was also disqualified from driving for two years and one day. Leave to appeal was granted.
