Man fined and disqualified from driving after crashing into St Patrick’s Day parade in Co Laois

Court told Raymond Barrett (60), who has a degenerative disease and lives alone, ‘would have been rescued’ years ago if he was an animal

Raymond Barrett, of Luggacurran, Co Laois, was sentenced on Tuesday in connection with an incident on Main Street, Stradbally on March 17th last. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins
Raymond Barrett, of Luggacurran, Co Laois, was sentenced on Tuesday in connection with an incident on Main Street, Stradbally on March 17th last. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins

A man who crashed his car into a miniature steam engine during a St Patrick’s Day parade in Stradbally, Co Laois last year has been fined and disqualified from driving.

Raymond Barrett (60), of Luggacurran, Co Laois, was due before Portlaoise District Court for sentencing on Tuesday after being convicted in his absence last week on two counts of dangerous driving.

He was also convicted of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour during the incident on Main Street, Stradbally on March 17th last. The defendant’s Hyundai car struck the miniature steam engine, knocking a woman and her nephew off the machine.

Barrett was not present when his case was called and Judge Andrew Cody issued a bench warrant for his arrest. He was wheeled into court a short time later in a wheelchair which Garda Brian Kelly said had been borrowed from a hospital.

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Brian Mallon BL, for Barrett, told the court that due to his medical conditions Barrett, who was diagnosed with a degenerative disease six years ago, had difficulty earlier in the day and was unable to travel.

Mr Mallon said Barrett was living alone in an extremely isolated rural area “in extreme squalor”. He said his client wanted to convey his deepest apologies to the injured parties and to the gardaí for his behaviour on the day.

Local shopkeeper Sylvester Phelan told the court he has known Barrett for years and, to use an analogy, he would say the accused “would have been rescued years ago” if he was an animal. Judge Cody said he accepted that Mr Phelan was trying to assist Barrett, but he noted that the boy injured in the incident requires skin grafts.

“After the accident Mr Barrett told gardaí to f**k off and described one garda as two ends of a p***k and abused another man. He seemed more interested in not getting the keys of his car taken from him,” he added.

He said a video recording of the incident, seen at an earlier sitting, showed that Barrett did not apply his brakes, was unable to change gears and blamed his dog for causing the incident. The judge accepted that degenerative diseases present serious challenges to people’s lives, particularly those living alone and in rural areas.

He convicted Barrett on one count of dangerous driving, fined him €100 and disqualified him from driving for four years. He also convicted him of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, fined him €100 and took all other matters, including Barrett having no driving licence and motor tax, into consideration.