Disqualified motorist caught driving in Limerick warned he ‘needs to wake up’

AN ASYLUM seeker has received a 10-year disqualification from driving after he was found to be driving without insurance in Limerick.

The 36-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, received the ban when he appeared before Limerick District Court.

He pleaded guilty to driving without insurance under Section 56 of the Road Traffic Act, as well as to a Section 3 drugs offence.

Sergeant Denis Waters told the court the first incident took place on Condell Road, Limerick on April 23, 2025.

At approximately 10:35pm, the man was stopped at a garda checkpoint and was found to be driving without insurance.

The car, which did not have valid tax, was registered in the name of the partner of the man’s daughter, who was a passenger in the vehicle when it was stopped.

The man did produce an international driving licence to gardai, which was deemed to be valid.

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Solicitor Tom Kiely, representing the accused, told the court that the man assumed he was insured given his asylum status.
Sgt Waters also detailed a separate incident which occurred in St. John’s Square, Limerick on June 17, 2025.

At approximately 10:15pm, the man was observed “acting suspiciously” at the location.

When searched by gardaí, he was found to be in possession of €60 worth of drugs. The man has three previous convictions, all of which were recorded in September of last year.

At Naas District Court on September 10, he was convicted of driving without insurance under the Road Traffic Act.

Just nine days later, Ennis District Court convicted him of driving without insurance and driving while intoxicated, for which he received a two-year disqualification.

Mr Kiely noted that the Limerick offences had occurred before the convictions were imposed in September.

He said his client is adhering to his current disqualification from driving and no longer has access to a vehicle.

He added that the man is in receipt of a weekly allowance of €38 from the State, as he waits for his asylum application to be processed.

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Judge Patricia Harney argued the man was “not that innocent”, saying that she was “not happy” with the situation.
She noted the accused was “buying drugs from criminals” adding: “If it wasn’t for ‘nice people’ buying drugs, we wouldn’t have a drug problem.”

Judge Harney added that it was not the man’s “first rodeo”.

In relation to the drugs matter, she noted that he has no similar previous convictions. She fined him €100 and gave him four months to pay.

For driving without insurance, the man was given a 10-year disqualification from driving, along with a one month prison sentence.

Mr Kiely asked for this sentence to be suspended, but Judge Harney refused. After imposing the sentence, she said that the man “needs to wake up” to Ireland’s road traffic laws.

The man was also convicted of failing to produce insurance, which was marked as taken into consideration.