Put off the road for two years over no insurance
Judge said there was 'no reasonable reason' for driving without insurance
A 54-YEAR-OLD man has been disqualified from driving for two years after being caught driving without insurance on the Tullow Road. Oleg Elpujan, The Hollow, Bishop’s Cross, Tullow appeared before Carlow District Court charged with failing to produce insurance documentation.
The court heard that on 8 August 2024, Garda Phelan stopped Mr Elpujan’s vehicle on the Tullow Road during a routine check. While the car displayed an insurance disc for June 2024, the vehicle was found to be uninsured at the time of the stop.
Mr Elpujan failed to produce valid insurance documentation to the local garda station within the required ten-day period following the incident. The defendant has no previous convictions.
Defending solicitor John O’Sullivan told the court that his client had taken over driving duties from his wife, who was feeling very tired at the time. He explained that Mr Elpujan, who works part-time doing gardening work, was “extremely apologetic” for the offence.
However, Judge Geraldine Carthy said there was “no reasonable reason” for driving without insurance coverage. She imposed a two-year driving disqualification and ordered Mr Elpujan to pay a fine of €300 within 90 days. The judge also set a fixed recognisance of €300 on Mr Elpujan’s own bond.
