A DAD of six stuck up his middle finger to a garda and told him to ‘f*** off’ after he was stopped for driving while disqualified.
Louis Carpenter, with a former address at 12 Main Street, Innishannon pleaded guilty at Bandon District Court to driving while disqualified.
Sgt Tom Mulcahy told the court that on April 29th last, Gda Joe Tippins stopped the defendant at Laherfineen, Innishannon at 1.57pm. He noticed that the tax had expired on the accused’s vehicle and there was no insurance or NCT displayed.
‘Mr Carpenter had been disqualified from driving at the time and he told Gda Tippins that he was being unreasonable and stuck up his middle finger at him and told him to f**k off,’ said Sgt Mulcahy.
The court heard that Mr Carpenter has seven previous convictions including a disqualification that he received at Bandon District Court on March 4th last.
Judge James McNulty remarked that Mr Carpenter was back driving one month after receiving that disqualification.
Solicitor Plunkett Taaffe said his client is an American citizen. He and his partner have six children, who all have autism and he said his wife isn’t well either.
‘He’s a full-time carer for the whole family. His wife needed medicine and he drove to the pharmacy and was stopped on route. He apologises to Gda Tippins and it was more a reaction to the circumstances he has found himself in,’ said Mr Taaffe.
‘He has sold his vehicle and will now face a lengthier driving ban because he was caught driving while disqualified.’
The judge said the court is understanding and sympathetic to Mr Carpenter but asked what did he expect Gda Tippins to do when he stopped him.
Mr Taaffe asked the judge not to impose a custodial sentence and said his client now lives outside Kinsale.
Mr Carpenter apologised to Gda Tippins and said it’s something that he would ever do normally.
‘I was desperate to help my wife as she can’t drive,’ he said.
The court heard his children attend ASD units in Clonakilty and Bandon and travel by taxis daily.
Judge McNulty convicted him of the offences but deferred penalty and asked for a probation report to be prepared on him.
‘This man has his own challenges and he’s not getting all the benefits he and his family are deserving of,’ he said.
He adjourned the case until October and asked the probation officer to introduce Mr Carpenter to people in the Department of Social Welfare and the HSE.
