Enniskillen Magistrates Court
A LISNASKEA learner driver who was caught driving without insurance twice in the one evening, in two different cars, has been given a suspended jail sentence.
Lee Kiely (20) of Trasna Way pleaded guilty to two counts of having no insurance, two counts of failing to display L plates, and one count of unaccompanied driving at Enniskillen Magistrates Court last week.
The charges arose out of two incidents on February 10. At approximately 7.30pm that evening police were called to a road traffic accident on the Derrylin Road in Derrylin. When they carried out checks on Kiely , who was the driver of the car, they found he was the holder of a provisional licence and had no L plates displayed. Kiely was ordered to produce his insurance documents to police within seven days.
Later that same night, police again detected Kiely driving a different car, without supervision and again without L plates displayed.
Explaining what had happened that evening, defence solicitor Myles McManus said Kiely had taken a lady he cares for to hospital in Belfast earlier in the day. They had been in her car and she had driven them back to her home in Derrylin, however she became sleepy and asked Kiely to take over driving.
Pointing out the defendant was accompanied by a valid driver on that occasion, Mr McManus claimed Kiely was under the misunderstanding that the policy in place for the vehicle stated anyone without a driving disqualification was covered to drive the car, however it transpired it covered the policy holder only.
The solicitor said as they approached the lady’s house in Derrylin Kiely had slowed the car almost to a stop and the lady had opened the car door to get out. As she did this, Kiely took a right turn and she fell, injuring her arm. An ambulance was called, and the paramedics alerted the police.
Mr McManus said Kiely then took the foolish decision to drive the lady’s other car to the hospital, which was when he was detected for a second time.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said Kiely had a poor history of driving without insurance, with four previous convictions for the offence. He sentenced him to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months, fined him a total of £75, and disqualified him from driving for a total of one year.
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