“I’m going to walk,” was the claim made by a man who appeared at Limerick District Court as he answered charges relating to road traffic offences. The boasts of Charlie Casey, 22, with an address at Clonlong, Southill, were short-lived however, after Judge Eugene O’Kelly banned him from driving for two years for riding a sulky on a busy motorway in November 2011, and further jailed him for 10 months after he admitted to a burglary at Crossagalla and the theft of €500.
Garda Pat Kirwan told the court that he observed Casey riding the sulky on the motorway near the Cork exit at Rosbrien at 4.25pm on November 20 last.
Casey pleaded guilty to the charges where he was found to have an unlicensed horse contrary to the Control of Horse Act, dangerous driving and to giving a false name when stopped.
The court heard that sulkies being driven on motorways were causing problems all over the country but on this occasion, “a car was being driven on the hard shoulder alongside”.
The court heard that the sulky driver and the driver of the car were “just talking”.
“This is the character who said he would walk free if he was charged,” noted Judge O’Kelly.
“Well if he wants to walk, he can walk from now on,” added the judge, as he imposed a two year driving ban on Casey, and fining him €250 for having an unlicensed horse.
Addressing the burglary charge, Sgt Donal Cronin said that Sami Swoi, a Polish food enterprise in Crossagalla, was raided between June 29 and 30 last year and €500 in cash was taken.
Casey, who was said not to have been acting alone, was arrested some 11 months later and charged with the offence.
An eight month prison sentence handed down in February 2, 2011 had been suspended for 12 months, and Judge O’Kelly said that four months later, in June, the accused was “back stealing again”.
Judge O’Kelly activated the suspended sentence from February 2011 and further sentenced the accused to 10 months in prison for the burglary at Crossagalla. The sentences are to run concurrently.
