Kiltimagh man may lose licence for van hit and run

A 19-year-old man who crashed into a van and failed to report the accident could lose his licence and could face dropping out of college as a result.
Tim Doyle of Treenabonty, Swinford appeared before Castlebar District Court where he pleaded guilty to no insurance and failure to stop at the scene of an accident.
The court heard that on May 3, 2015 Seamus Cosgrove parked his van on Aiden Street, in Kiltimagh and the next morning discovered it had been significantly damaged.
Mr Doyle subsequently visited the garda station on May 5 and admitted to crashing into Mr Cosgrove’s van, he also called to Mr Cosgrove to apologise.
Giving evidence, Mr Cosgrove explained how the accident had a big impact on his painting and decorating business.
“The van was wrote off and I couldn’t get a suitable replacement. With the time of year it happened there was a lot of outdoor work on and I couldn’t tow a trailer to bring power washers and when I did rent a van it was eventually sold,” explained Mr Cosgrove.
The painter decorator said he was then ‘off the road’ as he could not get insurance on the family car or on his colleague’s car.
Mr Cosgrove said his insurance will now be ‘loaded’ and will ‘cost me in the longterm’.
Defending solicitor Brendan Donnelly said his client lives at home with his parents and is currently studying in Sligo IT. Mr Donnelly said Doyle uses his parents’ car to drive to college each day and on the night in question he was driving his sister’s car after taking it for a drive when he couldn’t sleep.
The court heard Mr Doyle works in a shop every weekend to pay for college and that if he was to lose his licence he would have to drop out of college.
Judge Mary Devins told Mr Donnelly that unless there was a special and substantial reason in the case, she would have no other choice but to disqualify his client from driving.
Mr Donnelly maintained that the fact Mr Doyle would have to drop out of college and go on the dole was a substantial reason and also the fact that his client owned up to the accident.
“A Volkswagen grill and blue paint was found at the scene and the garda investigation was saved by his [Mr Doyle] level of maturity to go to the station. Volkswagen is the most popular car, gardaí would be a long time going around the county looking for a blue Volkswagen,” said Mr Donnelly.
After Judge Devins adjourned the matter for consideration. Mr Cosgrove addressed the court again and said that Mr Doyle did not ‘come to the station with his hands up’ but rather owned up to it after ‘sustained pressure’ was put on him by the community.
The matter was put back to April 5 awaiting a probation report.