“I don’t want to throw my client’s spouse under a bus” a defence solicitor told Judge James Faughnan at Tuam District Court, to which the Judge responded “but you just have”.
Tony O’Doherty solr was defending Peter Langan, Rusheens, Tuam who was before the Court on a charge of driving without insurance.
The defence pleaded that this was not a case of neglecting to acquire insurance cover, as is required by law, but the result of a “breakdown in communications.”
Mr O’Doherty explained that his client normally went about getting his insurance cover in the traditional way of dealing with a broker.
However, his spouse was handling the matter and she hit the wrong button and the amount his client understood to have been paid was not received by the insurance company.
“I don’t want to throw the spouse under a bus,” the defence pleaded, but you just have” replied the Judge.
Mr O’Doherty said his client “was not digitally savvy” and had missed follow-up inquiries from his insurance company. As a result, when he was stopped by Garda Darren Egan he was not covered, even though he was unaware of this at the time and believed the policy was in place.
“Virtually within an hour of being stopped, he had his policy back in place,” the defence pleaded, but that still left him facing the no-insurance charge for the time he was stopped by Garda Egan.
Judge Faughnan accepted the explanation, imposing a fine of €100 but without the normal two-year driving disqualification due to extenuating circumstances.
This article is funded by Comisiún na Meán.
