A man tried to run over a traffic warden in a row over parking fines.
Letterkenny court.
John Boyle tried to mow down traffic warden Danny Dougherty while he was crossing the Main Street in Letterkenny.
The traffic warden, who was in full uniform, was pushed back four metres after being struck by Boyle’s Ford Mondeo car but did not receive any serious injuries.
Boyle, a 49 year old married man, had an issue with the traffic warden over parking tickets, Letterkenny District Court was told.
The startled traffic warden managed to bang his hand against Boyle’s bonnet to get him to stop during the incident at Market Square on November 12th, 2012.
Bizarrely Boyle, of Leck Cottages, Letterkenny, accused the traffic warden of damaging his car and threatened him.
The court was told that Boyle met traffic warden Doherty at a later date and pointed at him to another man.
He accused Mr Dougherty of damaging his car, said he knew where he lived and that he would “kick him around the car park.”
Judge Paul Kelly asked why Boyle had driven at Mr Dougherty in the first place and as told by defence solicitor Patsy Gallagher that there was an issue over parking tickets.
He added “My client’s head was not in the right place then.”
The court heard that Boyle is on temporary release from Castlerea Prison where he is serving 18 months for an incident in which he stabbed five people including a Garda in Letterkenny on August 14th, 2011.
Judge Kelly described the incident as bizarre but reduced the charge from dangerous driving to careless driving at the request of the Gardai.
He fined Boyle €250 and ordered him to keep the peace for a year and not to interfere in any way with traffic warden Danny Dougherty.