How the hell does he only get a suspended sentence?

Timberrrrrrrr · 22-01-2015 10:11am #1

Banned driver caught driving wrong way down motorway at 180km/h - while smoking a cigarette

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/banned-driver-caught-driving-wrong-way-down-motorway-at-180kmh-while-smoking-a-cigarette-30928095.html

A man with nine convictions for hit-and-run incidents, 23 for drink driving, and has had 79 prison terms served upon him, has been given a 10 month suspended sentence and 10 year driving ban after he was found guilty of driving the wrong way on a motorway at 180km/h.

He was already serving a ****ing THIRTY YEAR driving ban!

He pleaded guilty to six changes of dangerous driving in relation to a series of incidents occurring along a 41km stretch of the motorway from Cratloe to Crusheen on June 18.

Cotter had already been banned from driving for 30 years in 2012, the court heard.

Judge Patrick Durcan said Cotter was "gaily driving along, smoking a cigarette, window down, and going at 180km/h and meandering in and out of lane".

minidazzler · 22-01-2015 10:15am

Sounds like he was trying to do himself in, couldn't get the nerve so was trying to get a helping hand from someone. Guaranteed he was given his car back too.

chupacabra · 22-01-2015 10:16am

mad craic that Cotter

Menas · 22-01-2015 10:17am

It was on the anniversary of his kids death. Sounds like he was in a bad way mentally.
Not sure if prison is the best answer in this case, but how do you stop someone driving when they keep on defying their ban?

BoJack Horseman · 22-01-2015 10:19am

His sob story obviously swayed the judge.

Plus, prisons are almost if not over capacity & Irish people don't like them being built, so custodial sentences are avoided as much as possible.

UCDVet · 22-01-2015 10:19am

Trigger Happy wrote: »

It was on the anniversary of his kids death. Sounds like he was in a bad way mentally.
Not sure if prison is the best answer in this case, but how do you stop someone driving when they keep on defying their ban?

Put them in a facility where they are not permitted to leave because they represent a very real danger to everyone else.

He probably has mental problems. Sure. But so do many criminals. I feel sorry for him, but I also feel more sorry for his potential victims. Until we can cure him (which is probably never) we should lock him up.

anncoates · 22-01-2015 10:20am

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

Judge Patrick Durcan said Cotter was "gaily driving along, smoking a cigarette, window down, and going at 180km/h and meandering in and out of lane".!

Lucky he didn't rear-end somebody.

The Moldy Gowl · 22-01-2015 10:20am

The smoking a cigarette really piqued my outrage.

Atlantic Dawn · 22-01-2015 10:21am

He had a good violin story for the judge, always works. When your a thief if you mention a drugs or drink addiction it helps too. If he had no violin story he would have been off the road for 5 to 10 years.

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

The incident occurred on the second anniversary of his son's sudden death and he had already lost a daughter, the court was told.

Menas · 22-01-2015 10:23am

UCDVet wrote: »

Put them in a facility where they are not permitted to leave because they represent a very real danger to everyone else.

He probably has mental problems. Sure. But so do many criminals. I feel sorry for him, but I also feel more sorry for his potential victims. Until we can cure him (which is probably never) we should lock him up.

Hard to disagree with that.

bear1 · 22-01-2015 10:23am

Irish justice system working well again.

sh1tstirrer · 22-01-2015 10:23am

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

The smoking a cigarette really piqued my outrage.

if he were going the right direction at the speed limit it would have been ok to smoke.

Timberrrrrrrr · 22-01-2015 10:24am

Trigger Happy wrote: »

It was on the anniversary of his kids death. Sounds like he was in a bad way mentally.
Not sure if prison is the best answer in this case, but how do you stop someone driving when they keep on defying their ban?

As sad as his story is it was no excuse for him to put hundreds of innocent lives at risk. Would his story still be relevant if he had if he had crashed head on into a car carrying a family and wiped them out?

osarusan · 22-01-2015 10:25am

This probably had something to do with it.

On the day of his latest driving offences, the defendant had not taken his bipolar medication, the court was told.

Although with all those convictions, you'd think somebody would be forcing the pills down his throat each morning.

washman3 · 22-01-2015 10:28am

bear1 wrote: »

Irish justice system working well again.

Yes indeed, he has a current TV licence so all is fine...:D

neil_hosey · 22-01-2015 10:29am

technically his speed is a non issue, the fact that he was on the wrong side of the motorway means he was in fact travelling at minus 180 kmph

montavista · 22-01-2015 10:31am

One of the few times in my life I am ashamed to be Irish, its just a matter of time before he kills someone on the road and everyone seems to think it is somehow quirky or comical. I dont believe there is another Country in the world where this guy would be walking around free.

Seriously .. 19 offences for drink-driving and nine hit-and-run offences

"pleaded guilty to six separate charges of dangerous driving in relation to a series of incidents along a 41km stretch of motorway from Cratloe to Crusheen on the morning of June 18th last. He was banned from driving at the time.
He received a 30-year driving ban in 2012 at Limerick Circuit Court. His 208 previous convictions include 19 offences for drink-driving and nine hit-and-run offences."

Timberrrrrrrr · 22-01-2015 10:33am

I wonder was this him again this morning :eek:

A CAR is travelling the wrong way up the M9 motorway.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/car-travelling-wrong-way-up-m9-motorway-30928065.html

AA roadwatch issued the warning as a car was spotted in the northbound carriageway travelling south.

Thick fog in the area is creating difficult driving conditions for motorists.

The Moldy Gowl · 22-01-2015 10:33am

montavista wrote: »

One of the few times in my life I am ashamed to be Irish, its just a matter of time before he kills someone on the road and everyone seems to think it is somehow quirky or comical. I dont believe there is another Country in the world where this guy would be walking around free.

Seriously .. 19 offences for drink-driving and nine hit-and-run offences

"pleaded guilty to six separate charges of dangerous driving in relation to a series of incidents along a 41km stretch of motorway from Cratloe to Crusheen on the morning of June 18th last. He was banned from driving at the time.
He received a 30-year driving ban in 2012 at Limerick Circuit Court. His 208 previous convictions include 19 offences for drink-driving and nine hit-and-run offences."

Yeah because this would never happen in another country.

Atlantic Dawn · 22-01-2015 10:33am

Had to have been driving uninsured too if he was off the road for 30 years.

bear1 · 22-01-2015 10:40am

It begs the question should there now be checks on people who buy cars?
VRC is sent to Shannon and they check the buyers name to see if they have been banned - Shannon notifies police and police intervene.
There are so many stories of these types of people.
@Montavista: you know little of the world if you think this doesn't happen anywhere else.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2526206/Drink-driver-SIX-times-limit-downing-bottle-vodka-walks-free-court-Victims-drink-drivers-label-sentence-ridiculous.html

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/extremely-drunk-driver-walks-281413691.html

Here are some examples from the UK and US where people have walked free when conditions would say the opposite.

whisky_galore · 22-01-2015 10:56am

Because we have a 'shur God love him, the crater' mindset here.

Akrasia · 22-01-2015 11:20am

This 'judge' will be responsible for the death of at least one innocent person.

The individual involved here has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he is incapable of obeying the law. If he has mental problems, then he is clearly a danger to himself and others and should be committed under the mental health act.

If he is not suffering from mental illness, then he is a psychopath who should never be let out of jail. I am horrified to think that an entire family could be wiped out by this dipsh1t driving at over 100mph in the wrong lane of a dual carriage way.

Grayson · 22-01-2015 1:15pm

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

Yeah because this would never happen in another country.

Like Russia for example

The guy in the original article doesn't belong in prison. He does need help though. He needs to be under the watch of trained mental health professionals. Quite probably whilst being admitted somewhere.

Tearin It Up · 22-01-2015 1:26pm

Did I read that correctly, Cotter had already been banned from driving for 30 years in 2012.

He was given a 10 month suspended sentence and 10 year driving ban.

If a 30 year driving ban didn't stop him, I don't think a 40 year driving ban will either.

Only in Ireland, 9 convictions for hit and run, drink driving and a slap on the wrist to do it again.

Hermy · 22-01-2015 1:31pm

bear1 wrote: »

Irish justice system working well again.

You don't get justice in a court - you get law.

mickydoomsux · 22-01-2015 1:37pm

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

Yeah because this would never happen in another country.

It might happen in other countries but there would actually be something done about it.

In Ireland, the perpetrators are the real victims because we have some kind of twisted Catholic guilt hangover in our society.

Every criminal has some pathetic sob story and they know that it works with our judiciary.

endacl · 22-01-2015 1:42pm

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/car-travelling-wrong-way-up-m9-motorway-30928065.html

Note to independent.ie: if your embedded video is preceded by an ad that I can't skip after 5 seconds, you can fcuk off with both your ad, and your video.

mikom · 22-01-2015 1:44pm

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/411-people-jailed-last-year-for-not-paying-their-tv-licence-30235625.html

kerry4sam · 22-01-2015 2:18pm

Grayson wrote: »

Like Russia for example

The guy in the original article doesn't belong in prison. He does need help though. He needs to be under the watch of trained mental health professionals. Quite probably whilst being admitted somewhere.

You know when you watch a horror and you've your hands up around your eyes. They almost cover the entire view but you just cannot, cannot look away.

Well that was me watching this,
Thanks for sharing,
kerry4sam

bear1 · 22-01-2015 2:41pm

Hermy wrote: »

You don't get justice in a court - you get law.

With justice being a by-product.

How the hell does he only get a suspended sentence?

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