A man who “slid on gravel” and crashed into a vehicle causing injury to a number of its passengers failed in having the charge reduced and was fined a total of €700 and ordered to pay witness expenses of €150.
Michael Ryan, who is currently serving a prison sentence for unrelated offences, was charged with careless driving and driving without a licence at Doughiska Road on August 31, 2007.
Inspector Ernie White told the court that at 10.30pm the 21-year-old with an address at 12 Teach Briota, Ballybrit, had been driving from Galway to Oranmore. When he took a turn for the Coast Road he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into another vehicle driven by a male driver and carrying five female passengers. All of the passengers were taken to hospital with neck injuries.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that her client maintains that he had “slid on gravel” before losing control of his car. She also asked that the charge should be reduced to driving without reasonable consideration.
Judge Mary Fahy replied that: “Where there are injuries he is lucky he is not charged with more.”
Inspector White then told the judge that the defendant has seven previous convictions which include the unauthorised taking of a vehicle for which he received four months in jail in December 2008. He also received sentences for two counts of burglary. In June 2008, he was disqualified for 12 months for driving without insurance.
Ms Corcoran then said that her client would be tendering a plea of guilty to the Section 52 charge. The court heard that the defendant was due to be released from prison on September 26, 2009.
Judge Fahy convicted and fined him €500 for the careless driving and for driving without a licence he was fined €200, both payable forthwith. Ryan was also ordered to pay witness expenses of €150 in total and was given seven months to pay.
