A man who drove while disqualified and so voided his insurance has been jailed for a week while Judge Seamus Hughes considers sentence.
The judge appealed to the man’s employers of 15 years not to impose a greater sentence on him by sacking him while he’s in custody.
Sean Masterson, formerly of Mullingar but now with an address at 93 Norbury Wood Green in Tullamore was on his way to court when he was stopped by gardai at lunchtime on March 10 this year.
He had been disqualified for drink driving in November for two years and that disqualification came into effect from February 1 this year.
There was no charge of driving while disqualified before the court but Judge Seamus Hughes said he would have to take that into consideration as he dealt with the no-insurance issue.
Judge Hughes said the father of three’s behaviour was “appalling” and noted that the court had indulged him in the first place by postponing the disqualification.
Ms Patricia Cronin said her client, who is now separated, works in Tullamore and had been given time to arrange accommodation there.
She said he had been trying to move his belongings and see his children. He hadn’t cancelled his insurance following the disqualification but it became invalid as a result, she said.
She asked the court to bear in mind while sentencing that he is the sole provider for his three children.
Judge Hughes said Masterson had “no regard for the law” and effectively should have known better because of his age.
“I can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” he told Ms Cronin, remanding Masterson in custody for one week.
When Ms Cronin reiterated that his decision would cause Masterson to lose his job, he replied “I heard you. I’ve made my decision”.
Ms Cronin renewed her application later in the day and the judge said he would “appeal to his employers not to undertake such a course of action”.
He said it amazed him greatly that large employers would take advantage of a man and sack him because he had been remanded in custody and had not been sentenced.
Ms Cronin said there was no way for her client to take holidays at short notice but Judge Hughes said it seemed extraordinary that the employer might impose “a much greater penalty” on Masterson than he would.
He refused to change his mind.
At yesterday’s sitting of Mullingar District Court, Ms Cronin told the court her client leraned a harsh lesson.
The judge reminded Masterson that he had gotten three square meals a day while in prison and disqualified him for five years and fined him €750.
Masterson, who had never been in court jail before described the experience as “not very nice”.
