Old car ‘fishtailed’ in Tesco Tullow car park, Carlow court heard
Carlow Courthouse
A 46-YEAR-old Polish man who admitted careless driving after a car ‘fishtailed’ and mounted a footpath in Tesco car park in Tullow has been fined €500 at Carlow District Court. Judge Geraldine Carthy heard that Kazimierz Klajna, Ashbrook, Tullow, Co Carlow pleaded guilty to a section 52 offence of careless driving.
The court heard that at 4.15pm on 8 May 2025, a witness observed a car being driven in Tesco car park when it appeared to lose control and fishtail, mounting the footpath. The witness reported that the car then left the scene “at speed”.
Mr Klajna was later contacted by An Garda Síochána and was described in court as being “very apologetic”. He said the vehicle was an old car and that a wishbone screw had come loose, affecting its manoeuvrability.
Judge Carthy asked Insp Conor Nolan what ‘fishtailing’ meant and he explained that it referred to the back of a car swinging backwards and forwards.
The court was told that Mr Klajna had no previous convictions and that no damage was caused to any third party.
Defence solicitor Joe Farrell said he had a letter from a garage in Naas that had worked on the defendant’s car and referred to the wishbone issue. “This isn’t a speed matter; it’s a 1990 car … it’s old,” said Mr Farrell.
He asked the court to take into account that Mr Klajna had apologised and that, at 46 years of age, he “has never had so much as a parking ticket”, adding that he rarely used the 36-year-old car.
“He is trying to pay money to charity and seems to have manned up in relation to the case,” Mr Farrell said.
Judge Carthy noted that the state had already accepted the plea to careless driving, adding: “I don’t have jurisdiction to look behind that.”
She also noted that the defendant had been “very apologetic” and that there had been no damage to a third party.
Convicting Mr Klajna, Judge Carthy fined him €500 and allowed him 90 days to pay. She added: “I won’t impose a disqualification.”
