Sligo man got on roof of his car when gardaí tried to seize vehicle

Ben Gorevan of Cois na Dún Ballymote pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct at Lord Edward Street, Ballymote on March 2 last year.

A charge of driving a dangerously defective vehicle was struck out.

And he pleaded guilty to having no insurance or licence at Grattan Street Ballymote on October 2 2020.

Sergeant Derek Butler told the court that the defendant’s car came around a corner in Ballymote with its tyres screeching.

The driver was stopped and admitted that he had neither tax nor insurance.

The defendant got angry when told the car was being seized as he had no insurance.

He was shouting and swearing in front of a woman and children, and he had got up on the roof a vehicle.

The defendant had no previous convictions.

Defence Solicitor Mark Mullaney said the defendant had engaged in juvenile behaviour and got upset when his car, his pride and joy was being seized by the gardai.

He got irate and what he did was foolish, and he regrets and meant no disrespect to the gardai, and he had pleaded guilty.

Judge Alan Mitchell wondered if he should ban the defendant from driving.

Mr Mullaney said the defendant had insurance for his current vehicle

He had insurance for the vehicle in question but had to cancel it as he could not get an NCT for it.

The defendant needed his licence for his work in Strandhill.

He made a serious error of judgment and he needed to get over it and was “less truculent” than usual.

Judge Alan Shatter said he took it that the defendant’s “rolling of his eyes up to Heaven” when the evidence was being heard was “embarrassment”.

Mr Mullaney said he did not see it as he had his back to the defendant, but he expected that it was through nervousness.

Judge Mitchell said the attitude of the defendant on March 2 left a lot to be desired.

The judge fined the defendant €200 on the no insurance charge and did not ban him as he needed his vehicle for work, lived in a rural area and, “I take it his attitude has improved”.

He fined the defendant €100 for disorderly conduct on the same date.

The judge said a further conviction for no insurance would result in a four-year ban.

He added: “Maybe a lesson has been learned, we all make mistakes”.