A Newport man on his way home from the mart, who according to Judge Mary Devins was only concerned with his own business on the roads rather than anybody else’s, was disqualified from driving after he caused a tail back of up to 20 cars behind the tractor he was driving.
Judge Devins said history may have been made in this district in disqualifying the driver who she warned didn’t have the right to cause a dangerous backup of traffic.
Garda John Daly told Castlebar District Court on Wednesday that on July 18 last year at 1.55pm, while driving the patrol car from Balla to Castlebar, he met a line of traffic going at 15 to 20 miles an hour near Balla Mart. After overtaking a number of vehicles, Garda Daly noticed 10 vehicles behind a tractor and trailer. The blue lights were activated and all the vehicles were overtaken, including the tractor. At Kilknock, Breaffy, Garda Daly stopped the driver of the tractor; Michael Nevin from Glenhest, Newport.
The garda counted 20 vehicles which passed the defendant’s and brought this to Nevin’s attention. He explained to Nevin that he had every right to drive at a slow speed, but was not entitled to hold the traffic up the way he did, as he could have pulled in to let the traffic pass safely. According to Garda Daly there were six possible locations where the defendant could have pulled in. The garda said that the defendant seemed agitated when he was stopped. Nevin was issued with an on the spot fine which was not paid.
Nevin said that he was driving the 26 ft tractor/trailer, the speed limit of which is 26 miles per hour, after attending the mart in Balla. The defendant said there was no place between the mart and Manulla Junction to pull in safely, but that a number of cars did overtake him near a garage on the road. The defendant also said that he was pulling in to the left to let traffic pass when the garda stopped him.
Defence solicitor Aidan Crowley said that Nevin has an excellent driving record and is a full-time Bus Éireann school bus driver, with no previous convictions.
The judge said: “Mr Nevin represents the individualism and solipsism which is rampant is society”, in that “his business that day was far more important than anybody else’s”, and noticed that his arrogance in the courtroom “was palpable”, in that he is still convinced that he did nothing wrong. Judge Devins said that Nevin did have the right to drive slow, but he did not have the right to cause a dangerous backup, and “you are not more important than any of the rest of us”. The judge convicted and fined Nevin €250 and disqualified him from driving for one year. Recognisances were fixed.
