Uninsured driver with no NCT cert ‘had just bought the car for his wife’ – court told

 29th January 2022

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A MOTORIST caught driving without insurance claimed he had just bought the car for his wife and was bringing the vehicle to a local garage for it to be repaired, a court has heard.

Piotr Jez (37) tried to turn the vehicle away from a garda checkpoint but he was stopped by officers.

Judge Dermot Dempsey fined Jez €475 and disqualified him from driving for two years.

The defendant, of Hamlet Lane in Balbriggan, admitted driving without insurance, a driving licence or L-plates at Chieftains Drive in Balbriggan on April 17, 2020.

Garda Sean McGill told Swords District Court that gardaí were operating a checkpoint when he noticed a 2006-registered vehicle try to turn away from them.

Gda McGill said he spoke to the driver, who was a learner driver and was unaccompanied at the time.

The garda said that he made the lawful demanded to see Jez’s insurance, driving licence and NCT certificate but the defendant failed to produce the documents and the vehicle was seized.

The court heard that Jez had one previous conviction, but none for road traffic matters.

Defence solicitor Fiona D’Arcy His defence said that Jez, who was unemployed, was a married man with three children.

Ms D’Arcy said that Jez had just bought the car for his wife and at the time he was stopped he was bringing it to the garage to get it fixed up.

She asked the judge to be as lenient as possible, saying this incident took place nearly two years ago and Jez had not been in trouble since.