Laois businessman given two-year driving ban for having no car insurance
Portlaoise Courthouse
At Portlaoise District Court last week, a businessman was banned from driving for two years after he was convicted of driving without insurance on Fr Browne Avenue, Portlaoise.
Raul Cristian Filip, Esker, Timahoe was summoned before the court for the offence that took place on 28 April.
However, Mr Filip was not present when his case was called.
Judge Andrew Cody said that he was satisfied that the summons was served correctly and instructed the prosecuting garda Michael Kenneally to proceed with his evidence.
Garda Kenneally said that while on mobile patrol at 10.54am that morning, he stopped the vehicle that was being driven by the defendant. He said the insurance on the car had expired on 2 February, while the tax on it had expired in May two years earlier.
Garda Kenneally said that Mr Filip told him that the car had been out of action for a while as it was broken and he had just got it fixed before he was stopped driving in it.
Asked by Judge Andrew Cody whether the defendant had any previous convictions and if Garda Kenneally knew anything about the man, Garda Kenneally replied that Mr Filip has no previous convictions and that he thought that he was a businessman.
Judge Cody convicted Mr Filip of driving while uninsured, fined him €750, disqualified him from driving for two years and took the other matter into consideration.
