Man who crashed girlfriend’s car has jail sentence replaced by community service

March 22, 2017

A man who was given a five prison sentence after he crashed his girlfriend’s car while he was uninsured in 2016, had the sentence substituted for community service on appeal at Donegal Circuit Court.

Jason Cassidy of Ardfarna, Bundoran, had pleaded guilty in the district court previously to, failing to give a sample to garaí, driving without due care and attention and driving without insurance after he crashed into a parked car at Bundoran on March 5, 2016.

The Circuit court heard he initially told gardaí that there must have been something wrong with the car as it veered to his left. In the station he failed to provide a urine sample and refused to take a blood test.

He has previous convictions for having no insurance, no driver’s licence, possession of drugs, possession of drugs for sale or supply, assault and road traffic matters.

Barrister Peter Nolan BL, said his client had a long history of difficulty with drugs and previously used heroin but was drug free now.

He said he took full responsibility for the crash and took the car to go to a friends house after a row with his girlfriend. He previously studied archaeology and the retrained as a barber but these “fell by the wayside”.

He said the were only appealing the prison sentence and that all other penalties imposed in the district court, including a fine of €200 and seven year driving ban, should remain.

Judge Cormac Quinn said his decision was a”close run thing” but he would substitute the two five month sentences for failing to give a sample and driving without insurance, which were to run concurrently, for two, 200 hour, community services orders.

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