HOW are you getting on with your wife? This was the question posed by a Judge to a defendant who appeared before her at Galway District Court.
The defendant’s summons to appear in Court had been served on his wife and he failed to appear to answer a driving without insurance charge.
As a result he was put off the road and fined in his absence.
He was later stopped at a Garda checkpoint and was informed that he was disqualified from driving when the Garda communications system was checked at the roadside. As a result he was arrested again on the same charge and others relating to the alleged offences.
The defendant appeared before Judge Fiona Lydon on Monday and appealed for time to be extended so he could appeal the first conviction. His explanation for failing to appear at the initial sitting was that his wife had received the summons and had not passed it on to him. The Judge inquired as to how his relations were with his wife and if they were communicating. The defendant assured her they were.
In light of this Judge Lydon allowed ten days for him to lodge his appeal against his conviction.
