Laois man’s ‘Far-fetched’ defence story just an ‘abridged version’ of events- told court
Portlaoise District Court
A DEFENCE position that was proffered by a solicitor at Portlaoise District Court last week was described by a judge as sounding “a bit far-fetched.” The solicitor said that his summation of the events surrounding his client’s actions at the time, “was an abridged version and would be far more far-fetched if I described them fully.” The exchange between the solicitor and judge took place when Nigel Fenlon from Ballymorris Green, Canal Road, Portarlington was before the court charged with having no insurance or driving licence, displaying false tax, insurance and NCT discs, at Ballymorris Road, Portarlington, as well as possessing methadone at Lansdowne, Portarlington on 7 October.
Mr Fenlon pleaded guilty to all the charges.
Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said that while gardaí were on mobile patrol around Portarlington they detected a car, through their mobility device, to have no tax or insurance.
They followed the car and when it stopped, they observed a man and his daughter get from it. When they spoke with the man, he denied that he had been driving the car. They observed the man’s daughter’s schoolbooks and a bottle of methadone in the rear of the car.
He said Mr Fenlon had 16 previous convictions.
Defending solicitor said that the car had been registered to the cousin of his client’s former partner and had been “abandoned/parked up for the past 12 months and used as a somewhat of a storage area with bits and bobs in it.
“He had been up town and when he came back, he saw a number of men with a low loader who wanted to purchase the car. They offered one price if it was working and another if it was not.” Mr Meagher said his 46-year-old client: “Had foolishly got into the car with his daughter and one of the men. He was no more than 100 metres from his house when he met the gardaí and the man effectively fled the scene. The car wasn’t used. When it was being started there was an explosion of oil and soot. The patio still has the stains from it.
“He feels extremely ashamed and nervous at what could be the consequences as it was his intention to remain trouble free.” “Sounds a bit far-fetched to me,” said Judge Andrew Cody to which Mr Meagher replied: “This was an abridged version and would be far more far-fetched if I described them fully.” For driving while uninsured Mr Fenlon was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years, disqualified from driving for six years and fined €300.
He was fined €100 on each of the following, for having false tax, insurance and NCT discs. For driving without a driving licence, he was also fined €100 and disqualified from driving for six-years and a €100 fine was imposed for possessing methadone.
