Laois Man’s whereabouts questioned by judge
Portlaoise Courthouse
THERE was some confusion regarding the whereabout of a Laois man when his case was called at last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court.
Dylan Coffey, The Cross of Newtown, Ballyroan had been due before the court after he had previously pleaded guilty to charges of hit and run and failing to report an accident and damaging private property on 15 October last, being intoxicated in public and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on 16 October at Monksbridge, Portlaoise and guilty to the same charges on 8 December at Market Mews, Portlaoise.
Judge Andrew Cody noted that 26-year-old Mr Coffey had not been present at a previous hearing on 28 April as he was informed that the defendant had begun work with an employer in Dublin.
Mr Coffey’s barrister Andrew Dunne said that his client works as a life coach in Rathfarnham in Dublin, to which Judge Cody said: “The Probation Service says he’s in Dubai and that he hasn’t engaged with them. Is he now living in Dubai?” After checking to see where his client was, Mr Dunne said: “He is working with a company that has three offices. One is in Dubai and he is there now.” Reviewing some of the evidence that had been previously given, Sergeant JJ Kirby said that on 15 October last, gardaí were called to a single traffic incident and found a car in a ditch on its roof and no driver present at the scene. When they identified the owner of the car, they called to his house but he was not there. Later that morning, they came across Mr Coffey in a very drunken state. He was shouting and very aggressive and he had to be arrested. When questioned about the incident earlier the previous night, he told them that he had no driving insurance.
Mr Dunne said that after the accident, his client “went into town, started drinking, hoping to deal with what had happened”.
The barrister said that at the time, Mr Dunne had just bought a new car “and he’s still paying for the car loan, even though it was written off”.
Judge Cody convicted Mr Coffey on two charges of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and fined him €200 on both. He was also convicted of two counts of hit and run and fined €500 on both, and disqualified from driving for two years.
The other offences of being intoxicated in public and of criminal damage were taken into consideration.
