A man who went the wrong way down a one-way street in Letterkenny and met a Garda car has been fined €150.
Roger O’Connor had his charge reduced from dangerous driving to careless driving when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court.
The court was told O’Connor was leaving the entrance to the local theatre coming onto Port Road when he mistakenly turned left instead of right in his black Audi A4 on August 18th last.
He then met a Garda patrol car coming up the Port Road who stopped him.
O’Connor was later charged that at Port Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, a public place in said District Court Area of Letterkenny and District No. 1, he did drive a vehicle, registration number 182MO1246 in a manner (including speed) which having regard to all the circumstances of the case (including the condition of the vehicle, the nature, condition and use of such place and the amount of the traffic which then actually was or might reasonably be expected then to be therein) was dangerous to the public or was likely to be dangerous to the public.
The 23-year-old accused man’s solicitor, Mr Frank Dorrian, said he was asking the court to consider reducing the charge from dangerous driving to careless driving saying his client simply made a mistake when turning.
He added that it was a “momentary lapse of concentration.”
Mr Dorrian said his office is located on the Port road and that “every six weeks or so” the same thing happened and that cars went by his window in the wrong direction.
He added that an alcohol reading taken by Gardai on the night had been very low and that a fixed penalty notice had been paid.
Mr Dorrian added that O’Connor, of Greenfields, Convoy, had been very apologetic and cooperative with Gardai during the incident.
Judge Eiteain Cunningham agreed to reduce the charge to one of careless driving and fined the accused €150.
She also agreed not to disqualify O’Connor from driving as he had no previous convictions.