Longford man who was caught drink driving is jailed

A banned Longford driver, with 33 previous convictions and who tried to give gardaí the slip earlier this year, has been jailed by Judge Seamus Hughes.

Stephen Maughan, of 41 Grian Ard, Ardnacassa, Longford was handed down a two month sentence at last week’s District Court sitting following an incident in Newtownforbes on March 23 2019. Sgt Mark Mahon said gardaí received a report of a car driving dangerously at around 7:10pm with the same vehicle suspected of having been involved in a number of thefts earlier that evening.

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When gardaí came across the vehicle, it was observed by officers carrying out a dangerous overtaking manouvre.
Sgt Mahon said the driver, Mr Maughan, was at the time prohibited from driving. He added Mr Maughan had only been banned from driving for three years the month previously for motor related offences and was in the process of starting an eight month sentence.

That prison term, also handed down by Judge Hughes, came the week prior to last week’s District Court sitting as a result of burglary and criminal damage related charges. Asked by Judge Hughes why Mr Maughan saw fit to drive so soon after being put off the road, defence solicitor John Quinn admitted his client had been caught in a compromising situation.

“The driving came about basically because he (Mr Maughan) was trying to get away from the situation,” he said, adding there was a “robbery or incident” sometime earlier at a filling station. He also said his client was keen to dispose with all charges before the court as readily and swiftly as possible to “address whatever issues he has” and because his second child had just been born.

The case had last came before the court on July 9, it was revealed but was deferred until last Tuesday. It was at that juncture a woman, claiming to be Mr Maughan’s wife came forward and stood beside Mr Quinn to implore the court and Judge Hughes to exercise as much leniency as possible.

“I’m very sorry,” she said. “He won’t do it again and there will be big changes when he comes out.

“It was drink and drugs where he was going wrong.”

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Judge Seamus Hughes said given the gravity of the case and the fact Mr Maughan should not have been in control of a vehicle at the time meant a custodial sentence was an inevitability.

He sentenced him to two months in prison for a Section 4 charge of drink driving, consecutive to his present prison term and disqualified him from driving for six years.

Similar concurrent terms were issued for no insurance, driving without a licence and dangerous driving.

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