A Ballyhaunis man who failed to get his car taxed and pay the arrears despite repeated warnings from a garda, and then declared the car was off the road for a year before he finally taxed it, was fined €400 in Ballyhaunis District Court.
Ultan Cruise, Knockbrack, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, pleaded guilty in court to the charge of not having motor tax. Garda Shane Cuffe told the court that on May 25 2010 he stopped the defendant driving at Devils, Ballyhaunis. He had advised Cruise to get the car taxed and pay the arrears twice previously. He then checked in June to see if the car had been taxed and found it was, but Cruise had signed the declaration of non-use to say the car had been off the road when he was stopped and had not paid the arrears.
Solicitor for Cruise, Evan O’Dwyer, told the court that his client had taken a chance but had since made amends for it. Judge Mary Devins told the court that “this was bizarre behaviour”, while Inspector Joe Doherty said that “Garda Cuffe had been very fair with Mr Cruise and warned him two times before”.
Judge Mary Devins asked: “Did you think that other people should pay tax and that you shouldn’t?”, before she convicted and fined Cruise €400.
