A Galway man who had continuously driven while disqualified and attempted to ‘hoodwink’ gardai ruined his chances of staying out of jail for Christmas when he walked out of court and failed to return.
Martin Mongan (30 ) with an address at 19 Lios Caisel, Ballybrit, but formerly of 24 Gaelcarrig Park, Galway, was summoned to appear before Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court last Monday for a plethora of road traffic offences, mainly for driving without insurance and driving licence and failing to produce those documents at Garraun, Oranmore on May 6, 2008, at Doughiska Road on December 21, 2007, and again at Circular Road on May 6, 2007. He had also been stopped at Court Lane, Woodquay, on November 27, 2006, for driving without insurance and a driving licence and for not having the excise duty paid.
Defence solicitor Sean O’Cearbhaill told the court that the defendant, who is a father of four, was well aware that he could be facing a prison sentence. He added that Mongan’s wife was pleading with Judge Fahy not to jail her husband as she would “find it difficult in his absence” especially over Christmas.
On May 6, 2007, the defendant had been stopped at Circular Road for not wearing a seat belt. He gave his name as Patrick Mongan and also gave the wrong address, namely 65 Cnoc An Óir, Rahoon. On May 6, 2008, the defendant had been observed by gardai at a checkpoint moving from the driver’s seat of his vehicle into the passenger seat. When Garda Gerry Sweeney asked the defendant for his name he said it was Martin Mongan but gave the wrong address.
The court then heard that the defendant had committed these new road traffic offences while disqualified from driving. Mongan had a total of three previous convictions for driving without insurance and four for drink driving. He received a four year disqualification in January 2005 and again in September 2007.
Mr O’Cearbhaill said that his client accepts that he should not have been driving but that on one occasion he had been visiting his mother who had been in hospital in Dublin.
“Not alone has this defendant previous convictions but he had been disqualified. He tried to hoodwink Garda Sweeney by giving him a false name and address. I have to take into account that he has continuously driven while disqualified on a court order,” said Judge Fahy who then put the case back to the afternoon to consider it further.
However when the case was called later in the evening Inspector Ernie White informed the court that Mongan who had “technically” been in custody had left the court and had not returned. Judge Fahy replied that Mongan had been “very foolish” as she had considered not imposing a custodial sentence. A bench warrant was then issued.
