A LIMERICK City Councillor, elected for the first time last June, unsuccessfully challenged a parking fine imposed while attending an event last March at the City Art Gallery, and thus landed himself with a €150 fine.
Labour councillor, Tom Shortt of Walnut House, Browns Quay, Thomondgate, was represented in proceedings at the District Court by solicitor John Devane. The court was told that on March 11, 2009, Shortt parked in one of three spaces outside the City Gallery at Pery Square.
Garda Sharon Quirke gave evidence that at 8.21pm on the night in question, she observed the car parked on a disabled space.
A parking fine was issued and up until the court sitting, it remained unpaid.
Measurements were provided by the defence as to the cars parked in the vicinity and the length of Mr Shortt’s car.
Mr Devane said that his client’s car, a 02 LK registered Volvo Estate, was “about 15ft in length and the car behind was about 13 and a half feet in length and therefore, his may have slightly encroached on the space- “but it is my client’s belief that it was not parked in a disabled space”.
Responding to this claim, Garda Quirke said that she believed “the car was parked illegally”.
It was stated that Mr Shortt had two previous convictions for parking fines.
Mr Devane, concluding his cross examination, noted that his client was a public representative and was aware of the difficulties of parking in the city, but that he believed he was parked legally.
Judge O’Donnell, “satisfied beyond doubt” with the facts provided by the gardai, convicted and fined Shortt €150, and ordered that it be paid within four months.
Judge O’Donnell said he found it “ironic that councillors could be caught parking illegally when they, at City Hall, are the authors of these parking spaces throughout the city”.
