This article is from page 16 of the 2014-02-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
A MAN who was part of a gang who terrorised an elderly man during a burglary at his home in West Clare has avoided a driving ban.
Noel Garry (20), with a former address at Tullycrine, Kilrush appeared at Ennis District Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to four road traffic offences.
He admitted having on insurance, no NCT cert and no driver’s license when he was stopped by Garda Eoin O’Donoghue at the Tulla Road, Ennis on September 3, 2013.
Asked by Judge Patrick Durcan if there was anything unusual about the offence, Garda O’Donoghue said there wasn’t.
Mr Garry has one previous conviction under the road traffic act.
Defence solicitor Fiona Hehir said her client bought the car because he lived in a rural area at the time.
She told the court Mr Garry had just purchased the vehicle when he was stopped by the guards.
She said Mr Garry, who suffered from ADHD, fully cooperated with gardaí.
She urged the court not to disqualify her client from holding a driver’s license. She said Mr Garry was a young man who had never had the opportunity to drive.
Judge Durcan fined Mr Garry € 250 for having no driver’s license; € 100 for having not NCT and € 250 for having no insurance.
He said he was not disqualifying the accused from driving for work related reasons.
Mr Garry is currently in custody awaiting sentence for his role in a robbery at the home of a 68 year-old man in Cree on February 25, 2012.
He was one of four people who stole € 3000 from Michael McMahon whose home was targeted in a similar robbery just four days previ- ously.
Mr Garry pleaded guilty to robbery and evidence in the case was heard at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court in January.
The court heard that after the second robbery on February 25, a terrified Mr McMahon gathered his belongings and cycled 30 miles from his home to St Joseph’s nursing home in Ennis.
He had been threatened that his house would be burned down if he contacted gardaí, the court heard.
Mr Garry was one of three men who pleaded guilty. They are due to be sentenced on March 3.