Kerry man who towed trailer at 132 km/h avoids dangerous driving conviction
A plumber from Co Kerry who was recorded by a garda checkpoint towing a trailer at more than 50 km/h over the speed limit has avoided a conviction for dangerous driving in the district court.
Court presenter Sergeant Majella O'Sullivan told Fermoy District Court that a garda speed check at Gortore, Kilworth, Co Cork recorded a Subaru Forester car towing a trailer travelling at 132 km/h where the speed limit was 80 km/h.
The driver of the car was Diarmuid Lynch, 57 of Derryreag, Clonkeen, Co Kerry.
Defence solicitor Matthew Bermingham said his client was a hardworking man who had no previous convictions of any kind and had been driving for 40 years without incident.
He said that Mr Lynch accepted the facts and was taking the matter 'very seriously.' He added that the trailer was empty at the time and the incident occurred on a wide and straight stretch of road.
He said that the incident was an 'aberration' on Mr Lynch's part. Mr Bermingham asked Judge Miriam Walsh to consider reducing the charge from dangerous driving, which carries a mandatory disqualification of two years on conviction, to the lesser charge of careless driving.
Judge Walsh said that the speed was clearly excessive but given Mr Lynch's clean record she would agree to reduce the charge. Mr Lynch was convicted of careless driving, fined €500 and given four months to pay the fine.
This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
16 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Irish tech tycoon Mike Lynch's sunken Bayesian yacht now taken to Sicilian town for full investigation
LATEST | Tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter were among those killed when the superyacht sank off Sicily on August 19 Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht has been taken to the town where British and Italian investigators will carry out a full probe into the sinking. Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off Sicily on August 19 including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18.
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Bayesian yacht taken to Sicilian town for full investigation into sinking
Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht has been taken to the town where British and Italian investigators will carry out a full probe into the sinking. Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off Sicily on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, and his daughter Hannah, 18. The vessel was held above the water by one of Europe's most powerful floating sea cranes, which set off from the fishing village of Porticello at around 1.10pm local time. It was held in front of the crane as it moved. The vessel was held above the water by one of Europe's most powerful floating sea cranes (Peter Byrne/PA) The vessel arrived in Termini Imerese, a town around 12 miles away, at just after 3pm on Sunday. It will then be moved into a specially manufactured steel cradle, which has a tarpaulin underneath for pollution prevention. Salvage workers on site, not accompanying the vessel to port, are conducting a 'full sweep' of the seabed near Porticello for any potential debris, a project insider said. Italian prosecutors previously said raising and examining the yacht for evidence would provide key information for its investigation into the sinking. It will also aid the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report on what happened. Salvage efforts were delayed after a diver died during underwater work on May 9 (Peter Byrne/PA) Simon Graves, an MAIB investigator, previously told the PA news agency: 'When the wreck is brought ashore, we'll be completing a full examination of the wreck and we'll be finding out all of the elements that might have contributed to the safety of the vessel.' Further details such as 'escape routes' will be included in its final report on the sinking, according to Mr Graves, who added: 'Once we get access to the vessel, we'll be able to tell a fuller picture of activities on board and the sequence of events.' The vessel was originally expected to be raised last month but salvage efforts were delayed after a diver died during underwater work on May 9, prompting greater use of remote-controlled equipment. About 70 specialist personnel had been mobilised to Porticello from across Europe to work on the recovery operation. Inquest proceedings in the UK are looking at the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71, who were all British nationals. Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, were rescued. Mr Lynch and his daughter were said to have lived in the vicinity of London and the Bloomers lived in Sevenoaks, Kent.
Irish Independent
20 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Mike Lynch's yacht recovered in Sicily
Tech tycoon Mike Lynch's superyacht the Bayesian is lifted to the surface near the fishing town of Porticello, Sicily. Seven people died when the Bayesian sank off the coast of the Italian island on August 19, including billionaire Mr Lynch, 59, his daughter Hannah, 18, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, 70, and his wife, Judy Bloomer, 71.
