Man living in Longford maintains he wasn’t driving car pursued by gardaí

A case against a man who gardai said slid over from the driver’s side and then claimed the driver had run away after a car was stopped, was put back to allow video footage to be brought before the court.

Vasile Muntean (27) with an address at Abhainn Glas, Edgeworthstown was charged with drink driving, no insurance and no driving licence on March 18 last at the N5 Strokestown Road, Longford.

Garda Paul Stewart gave evidence at last week’s sitting of Longford District Court of stopping a car as part of a garda speed checkpoint.

The car was detected doing 132 kilometres in a 100 kph zone.

Gardai activated blue lights and followed the car, with both vehicles stopping shortly afterwards. Garda Stewart said he saw the driver sliding over to the passenger’s side. The defendant then told Garda Stewart that the driver had run away. When Garda Stewart asked for the defendant’s driving licence, he again said he wasn’t driving.

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Garda Stewart said he was only three to four metres away from the car when he observed the defendant moving to the other seat.

He said it was not possible for a person to have exited the vehicle.

Defence solicitor Frank Gearty said the defendant maintains that his cousin had been driving the car.

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The defendant told the court his cousin had been driving and got into the back seat of the car. He had told the defendant to tell the gardai that the driver had got out and ran away.

He had told the gardai that the driver ran away, “because my cousin told me to tell the guards that,” the defendant said.

If there was CCTV available, it would show who was driving, the defendant said.

However, Inspector Paddy McGirl said there was no CCTV in the area.

Garda Stewart said footage from the garda patrol car camera has been downloaded and stored. However, he did not believe this would show who was driving the car.

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Mr Gearty said he would like an opportunity to have a look at this footage.

Judge John Brennan said the defence was “entitled to look at that”.

“It may not have captured anything,” Judge Brennan said.

The case was adjourned to January 3 next to allow the garda patrol car footage be given to the defence, and also any other CCTV footage that may be available from the area.