A 19-year-old man who, while on his way to Westport to celebrate Reek Sunday drove in an “intentional reckless, dangerous manner”, was before Judge Aeneas McCarthy at Ballina District Court on Wednesday.
Martin Stokes, 20 Parkside Way, Harrow, England, entered a plea to dangerous driving on July 24. Inspector Joe Doherty outlined that on that date at 7.45pm, gardaí received a report that a white transit van, which was driven by Stokes, was being driven dangerously on the road from Ballyvary to Castlebar, where the van overtook the witnesses’ vehicle at high speed on the left side of the hard shoulder. The witnesses rang gardaí and while on the mobile to gardaí continued to observe the driving of Stokes.
The van was observed to overtake a line of traffic as oncoming traffic approached. At Mulroy’s roundabout the van drove straight through the roundabout without stopping. On Lawn Road, Stokes overtook on a continuous white line and he failed to stop at the Cathal Duffy Roundabout. On Humbert Way the van overtook on a continuous white line and at the Westport Road roundabout the defendant drove through without stopping. Gardaí from Castlebar then intercepted the van.
Peter Loftus, solicitor for the defendant, said that his client, who is a member of the Travelling community, was on his way with his family to Westport for Reek Sunday when the incident occurred. Mr Loftus said that any disqualification which Stokes would receive will also mean that he cannot drive in the UK, where he resides.
Judge McCarthy said that Stokes’ driving was intentionally reckless which “put the lives of other road users in danger” and the judge sentenced the defendant, who has no previous convictions, to three months in prison which was suspended on the condition that Stokes be of good behaviour for two years. Judge McCarthy also disqualified him from driving for five years.
