Man jailed for driving without insurance for tenth time when stopped in Kildare

A jail sentence was handed down to a man who was caught without insurance for a tenth time. 

Anthony Dennis Quinn (34) of Camira, Mountmellick, appeared before a sitting of Portlaoise District Court via video link. 

He admitted having no insurance on the R422 at Cappakeel, Portlaoise, on April 6, 2024 and drug driving and holding a mobile phone at Moore Abbey, Monasterevin, Kildare, on July 24, 2024. 

Garda Noel Tier said the accused had 77 previous convictions including nine for insurance, the most recent of which had been recorded at Athy District Court two days earlier.

Andrew Dunne BL said his client was serving a lengthy prison sentence. He asked Judge Andrew Cody not to add any additional time to the sentence.    

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Judge Cody said the defendant had wasted a lot of time in relation to the prosecution. He noted the man had nine previous convictions for no insurance and said the case had been adjourned six times. 

He imposed a five month prison sentence and disqualified him from driving for ten years for not having insurance. 

Judge Cody fined the man €200 for using a phone while driving and, noting the man had been five times over the drug driving limit on that occasion, he disqualified him from driving for 15 years and imposed a five month sentence to commence immediately. 

The defendant told the court he was now serving a four and a half year prison sentence. 

Mr Dunne said the man would hopefully be able to engage with addiction services while in custody.