[ad_1]
A judge has quashed a conviction for driving without insurance imposed on the partner of former Sinn Fein TD, Violet Anne Wynne, John Mountain (40).
Judge Francis Comerford, sitting at the Circuit Court in Kilrush, quashed the conviction along with a two-year driving ban which was imposed on Mr Mountain (40), east of Pella Road in Kilrush, last year.
It came after a successful appeal against the sentence by solicitor Patrick Moylan on Mr Mountain’s behalf.
Last June, in the District Court, Judge Mary Larkin imposed a driving ban and no insurance sentence resulting from a Garda prosecution in relation to Mr Mountain, who was driving a 192-registered black Ford Grand C-Max in Decomed, Lisicacy, Co-Claire, on 8 February. Did not put 2021.
Following the quashing of the conviction on Tuesday, Mr Moylan said today that “Mr Mountain has been proved completely right”.
Meanwhile, now independent Claire TD Ms Wynne said her partner had been the victim of “character assassination” resulting from the national reporting of the case.
Mr Moylan said: “He (Mr Mountain) is pleased with the result because it was a fair result. He always believed he was insured on the date.
She added that Mr Mountain is facing a separate insurance lawsuit in district court and expressed confidence that the case “will fall through because it’s going around with the appeals case”.
Mr Moylan explained that when Mr Mountain was originally prosecuted his insurance company had emailed the Gardaí and said that because he was driving without a fully licensed driver, Mr Mountain could not pay his insurance. were outside the terms and conditions of
Mr. Mountain pleaded guilty in district court based on information initially provided by the insurance company.
Mr Moylan said: “After this, they looked into it again and found that Mr Mountain would have been insured and would have been obliged to pay any third party liabilities that would have been incurred, but that they would be able to recover from him.” may demand.”
Mr Moylan said the state was allowing appeals but it was important to have the conviction quashed on appeal on record.
In the district court, Mr Moylan told Judge Larkin that Mr Montaigne had been paying €500 a month on his insurance policy and believed he was insured on that date.
In a statement after her partner’s no-insurance conviction was overturned, Ms. Wynn called her partner a “character assassination” because of the national reporting of the case.
In a statement, she said: “This ends a sustained campaign of national reporting on someone who is not a public figure.
“I have seen this process over the past few months take a huge toll on John, particularly his mental health.
“John was targeted and suffered character assassination as a result. It is extremely unfortunate that the companion of a female public representative could be targeted in a way that has had far-reaching effects on our entire family.”
Welcoming the court’s decision, Ms Wynne added: “I felt I must release this statement as I am sure it will not be reported by the media with the same ferocious vigor when the information was false and sensationalised.”
She thanked those who showed support during this time, “especially our lawyer, Patrick Moylan”.
[ad_2]
Source link