Four months in jail for Co Carlow driver for number motoring offences
The defendant was granted a few days to organise his affairs
A RATHVILLY man was handed a custodial sentence and disqualified from driving for eight years after pleading guilty to driving while disqualified, driving without insurance and without road tax at Carlow District Court.
Keith Carton (43) of Williamstown, Rathvilly, pleaded guilty to having no insurance, tax and being disqualified when he was stopped by gardaí at the bus park on Hanover Road, Carlow on 22 January. Gardaí on patrol had flagged the vehicle as having no insurance or tax.
Mr Carton’s vehicle was seized and he admitted to driving while disqualified. The court heard that after being arrested and charged, Mr Carton said “I’m sorry” to the gardaí who arrested him.
Sgt Carney told the court that Mr Carton had 27 previous convictions, of which four were for driving without a licence and six for driving with no insurance. Mr Carton’s most recent conviction was at Tullamore District Court, where on 1 October 2025 he was convicted of driving without a licence on 4 August 2025 and sentenced to one month in prison, which was suspended for two years in lieu of 20 hours of community service.
Mr Carton’s defence solicitor Joe Farrell said that while there was no excuse for what his client had done, on the day in question Mr Carton had been told at short notice that he was to have his five-year-old son, who has additional needs, and had no heating in his house at the time. Mr Farrell also said that his client was keen to keep his liberty and had asked for a plea as soon as possible.
In sentencing Mr Carton under section 66 and section 48 of the , Judge Geraldine Carthy said that the aggravating factors were his six previous convictions and the mitigating factors were his plea, remorse and apology to the gardaí.
Judge Carthy said that Mr Carton did not have a “good enough explanation” as to why he had driven on 22 January and that these offences did reach the threshold of custody. Mr Carton was sentenced to four months in prison and disqualified from driving for eight years.
The defence solicitor asked for Mr Carton to be given a few days to organise his affairs, which was granted by Judge Carthy, who fixed Mr Carton’s recognisance at €500 own bond and not to drive a motor vehicle.
