A man was fined for having no insurance and licence after a court was told that he held a Russian driver’s licence instead of an Irish one.
Damien Duffy, 36, of Magheramore, Clonmany, was charged with no insurance, driving without a licence and failing to produce his documents on January 7, 2016.
Duffy was stopped by Garda Killian Callaghan at James Street, Moville, the court heard.
He appeared before Carn District Court where he admitted all the charges before him.
Defence solicitor Ciaran MacLochlainn explained that his client held a Russian driver’s licence as he lived there and that he had previously work in Syria but left for ‘obvious reasons’.
Mr. MacLochlainn said Duffy was supposed to take out an Irish driver’s licence but hadn’t.
However he said he was ‘in the process’ of doing that.
The Buncrana solicitor told the court that his client, a self-employed father of two, was ‘very anxious’ to hold on his licence for employment purposes.
The court heard that Duffy had previous convictions for giving gardaí a false name, possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply, public order and speeding.
However, Mr. MacLochlainn said he had no previous for no insurance, adding that he was driving his stepfather’s car on the day in question.
Judge Paul Kelly fined Duffy €150 for driving without a licence and a further €250 for no insurance. He said he would not disqualify the Clonmany man on this occasion and struck out the remaining charges against him.
Tags: