This article is from page 18 of the 2007-05-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
ALLOWING a dangerously defec- tive lorry on the road when it wasn’t road worthy was an “accident wait- ing to happen”, according to a judge.
Patrick Buggy (53), a haulier from Kyle, Stradbally, Laois, was convict- ed of a number of offences, after one of his drivers was stopped at Killula, Newmarket-on-Fergus, on Novem- ber 2 last.
He was convicted of being the owner of a dangerously defective vehicle, of having recording equip- ment which was not functioning cor- rectly and having an unlicensed semi oem
The court was told that two tyres on the tractor unit were completely worn and the diesel tank was not properly in place.
Garda John Ryan told the court that the tachograph was inspected and showed the vehicle had been driven at 120 kilometres per hour, when the maximum speed for this vehicle should have been 90kph.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy said the vehicle presented a huge danger on the road, driven at high speed with no threads and the diesel tank was not properly secured.
“To send a truck out on the road with those defects beggars belief that a reasonable person could do that. It’s an accident waiting to happen. This was a dangerously defective truck, driven at high speed. It could have caused a major accident and killed people,’ he added.
“There is carnage on the roads. If there was an accident, I don’t know what could have happened. This ve- hicle wasn’t road worthy. It was so unroadworthy the garda impounded it. I wouldn’t be doing my duty if I didn’t disqualify him,” said the judge.
He imposed fines totalling €2,250 and disqualified Mr Buggy from driving for six months. He fixed re- cognisances in the event of an ap- peal. He issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the driver, who 1s from Lithuania.