This article is from page 14 of the 2014-01-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
A KILKEE man was fined € 1,000 for hitting a garda with the wing mirror of his car when he drove off “ at speed”.
Eoin O’Shea, Miltown Road, Kilkee pledged guilty to assaulting Garda Adrian Cosgrove on June 6, 2011 Contrary to Section 2 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 at Kilrush District Court.
The court heard that the garda was out of work for two weeks due to resulting pain to his hip and leg.
Mr O’Shea was also accused of unlawfully impeding Gda Greg Gander in the course of his duty, when he wanted to search his car under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977/84.
The court was told that the 28-yearold defendant was parked outside a hotel at Circular Road, Dough, Kilkee just after midnight when Garda Cosgrove asked him for his licence.
The window of the car would only go down a few inches and there was also a dog in the car “and anxieties rose” explained Joe Chambers, solicitor for the defence.
“He handed out the driving licence and NCT showing it had failed,” he added.
The gardaí then asked Mr O’Shea to get out of the car.
Mr Chambers said his client was embarrassed and he panicked.
He asked gardaí to meet him further up the road where they could search his car, but this may have got lost in the moment, according to the solicitor.
Fining the defendant € 1,000, Judge Patrick Durcan said, “ I dislike cases that come before the court that show disregard for the state.”