Ten year disqualification for man’s fifth driving without insurance conviction

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A driver caught driving without insurance for the fifth time received a ten year disqualification and a suspended prison sentence at Galway District Court.

Vincent McNeela (44), of Gleann Rua, Renmore pleaded guilty to road traffic offences of driving without a licence or insurance, and not wearing a seatbelt.

The offences occurred on March 10 of 2018, after he was stopped by Gardaí on the Old Dublin Road in Renmore for not wearing a seatbelt.

It later emerged that he was driving without having a valid licence or insurance for the car at the time.

The court heard that McNeela had 13 previous convictions for road traffic offences, including four for of driving without insurance between 2004 and 2015.

Mr McNeela’s counsel Gary McDonald said that he has not come to any further Garda attention since 2018, and has not driven since the date of this offence.

Judge Marie Keane imposed a four month prison sentence for the no insurance offence, but suspended it for two years at Galway District Court this week.

She also disqualified him from driving for a period of ten years for the same offence.

For driving without having a valid licence, and for not wearing his seatbelt, the judge imposed a €100 fine for each offence.