‘Good family man’ jailed for six months and banned from driving for 20 years

By Brendan Grehan

A “GOOD FAMILY man” with nine previous convictions for no insurance was jailed for six months by Tallaght Court. Judge Bridget Reilly also banned Damien McDonnell from driving for 20 years.

McDonnell, aged 48, with an address at Donomore Avenue, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to having no insurance and no driving licence at Kiltalown Road in Tallaght, on July 7, 2015.

He also pleaded guilty to having no insurance and driving while disqualified at the Plaza Hotel car park, Tallaght, on January 19, 2015.

Sergeant Michael Ahern told Judge Bridget Reilly that McDonnell had nine previous for no insurance. He said that at Dublin Circuit Court on April 7 last, he had been sentenced to four months jail for no insurance.

On Aprl 25, 2013, he had received a 30-year ban for no insurance and had been sentenced to 240 hours community service with five months jail in default.

At Tallaght Court on July 5, 2010, he had received a 30-year ban for no insurance.

McDonnell’s solicitor, Michael Hennessy, said his client is a mechanic and was fixing up cars. He said the offences occurred when he was getting the cars “from a to b” and wasn’t out driving them.

Mr Hennessy said his client was “a good family man” who had raised three children some of whom had gone on to third level.
Judge Reilly took issue with Mr Hennessy’s description of McDonnell.

She told him: “How could you describe him as a good family man when he has nine previous convictions for no insurance. He obviously does not care about driving with insurance.”

Judge Reilly sentenced McDonnell to six months jail for the no-insurance and to three months for the driving licence from July 2015. She also sentenced McDonnell to five months jail with a 20-year ban and to three months jail for driving while disqualified.

She ordered that all sentences were to run concurrently.