Castledermot driver jailed for undertaking

A MAN who undertook a learner motorcyclist on a straight road, yet pleaded not guilty despite an eye-witness and video evidence, was jailed for six months, banned for four years and fined €4,000 at Athy District Court this week.

Appearing was 25-year-old Conor Quinn, Davidstown, Castledermot, who was pleading not guilty to a single count of dangerous driving on the Crookstown Road, Athy on 10 August 2023.

The first witness for the prosecution was a Mr Nolan, who had been out training his 18-year-old daughter on the morning in question.

“She wanted to drive like her daddy … when a man came up on the hard shoulder and she got such a fright she never rode the bike again”.

“The car overtook on the wrong side?” Judge Desmond Zaidan wanted to clarify.

“I have dashcam footage – rear and front,” said Mr Nolan.

“It is excellent footage,” commented Inspector Bobby Feery.

“She has the full gear on,” noted the judge.

“We were able to get a registration off the footage,” said the inspector.

“It is very good footage, I can’t believe how clear the footage is,” agreed the judge after investigating officer Enda Boyle brought his laptop to the bench.

“It was optimum driving conditions – no glare, no rain, the road was very wide with three lanes,” noted defending solicitor Brian Duffy.

“The silver Land Cruiser wasn’t showing any speed,” he added.

“We were under the speed limit and he undertook us above the speed limit,” said Mr Nolan.

Garda Boyle then told the court he got the footage and subsequently the registration on 11 August 2023, but that “it took a considerable amount of time to find this man”.

“I asked Mr Quinn to come to Newbridge Garda Station to view the footage, and he refused to meet me on a number of occasions, his father said he didn’t want to deal with the allegation,” he said.

He said that Mr Duffy sent him the insurance for the silver Cruiser under his father’s commercial policy.

“There were four to five workers insured on this vehicle at any time,” said Mr Duffy.

“Can you identify my client in the footage?” asked Mr Duffy.

“I can’t,” said Garda Boyle.

“The state can’t prove my client was driving,” said Mr Duffy.

“Your client and his father are linked to this vehicle,” noted the judge.

“The gardaí gave this man every effort to answer questions, and if that man was an innocent man, he would say Joe Bloggs was driving,” he added.

“Where were you on that date?” he asked.

“No recollection whatsoever,” said Mr Quinn.

When asked why he avoided going to the garda station, he said: “Cows were calvin’, ewes were lambin’, it was a busy time."

“I didn’t know where I was (on 23 August) and I only became aware in January 2024 that the gardaí were looking to talk to me,” said Mr Quinn.

“And since January 2024 and April 2025, you still can’t figure where you were on the day in question?” asked Inspector Feery.

“Do you know the meaning of perjury?” asked the judge.

“I don’t understand,” said Quinn.

“The registration came back as Conor Quinn, he wasn’t the named driver on the day and I’ve seen insurance in dad’s name, but the vehicle is registered to Conor Quinn,” said the Inspector.

“My client did engage, he did attend the garda station. You can’t expect him to remember that day, no-one can put him there and you can’t prove dangerous driving,” summed up Mr Duffy.

“I can make reasonable inferences from the facts presented to court,” said the judge.

“While there isn’t direct evidence that Conor Quinn was driving, there is enough evidence to point the finger at Conor Quinn, who made every effort to avoid investigation,” he noted.

“If one or two of those motorcyclists were knocked down and killed, it was one of four or five drivers, this could’ve been dealt with and not wasted my time.

“This was a frightening experience for a young girl.

“I can understand the frustrations with learner drivers, but they have the same rights to the road as we do.

“It was a cowardly offence when only they have the gift to say who it was.

“I’m going to send this man to jail because the message has to go out to the public.

“If I acquit this man and it appeared in the papers, there’d be copycats across the board.

“This man was well able to frustrate the legal process.

“You are right, Mr Duffy, there is no direct evidence that that man was there, but I’m able to draw inferences, and this man was taking advantage of the system.

“You can go on hard evidence, forensic evidence, or circumstantial evidence.

“He could’ve got away with a jury, but not with a judge of my experience."

Mr Duffy made an appeal. “He has learnt a salutary lesson and I plead with you not to give him a custodial sentence.

However, the judge was not for turning.

He sentenced Mr Quinn to six months in jail, banned him from driving for four years, fined him €4,000 (the maximum fine for dangerous driving is €5,000) and set his appeal bond at €1,000.