This article is from page 12 of the 2008-10-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A FIRE service employee lost his job after being stopped by gardai on sus- picion of drink-driving and for driv- ing while banned, a court has heard. A judge jailed the father of eight- week old twins after hearing he was drunk behind the wheel.
Richard Steadman (23) of Abbey- ville, Limerick Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to drink driving and to hav- ing no insurance on the night he was stopped. Judge Joseph Mangan was told that Steadman had been banned from driving for a previous offence under the Road Traffic Act and “on the night, he got drunk and unfor-
tunately got into his car and drove. He drove five days before the ban on his driving had expired,’ his solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court. Pointing out that Steadman “real- ises 1t was a very wrong thing to do”, Mr Hassett said that his client “was employed by the fire brigade and has lost his job as a result of this occur-
rence. He is the father of twins, born eight weeks ago”.
Steadman was banned from driv- ing for four years and 13 days and sentenced to two months in jail with sentences to run concurrently.
The judge fixed bail for an appeal at Steadman’s own bond of €1,000 and an independent surety of €1,000.