Romanian man’s hit and run ‘was serious criminal intent’

A 17-YEAR-OLD Romanian who damaged two cars in a hit and run while driving without a licence or insurance has been fined €1,000 and banned from driving for a year.

Lucian Marunseac arrived in Ireland illegally late last year and didn’t apply for a license because he didn’t want to come to the attention of the authorities, his counsel, Sean Holth JC, told Waterford District Court yesterday.

The labourer had been remanded in custody by a previous court sitting after questions about his identity were raised.

But his passport and an ID card, which gardaí submitted to the court yesterday, were found to be legitimate.

Judge William Harnett said he intended to put the 17-year-old in prison, such was the potential risk he posed to other road users.

The court had previously heard how on April 27, Marunseac had been involved in a hit and run in Tramore, when his car glanced off another at a roundabout.

He was pursued by a member of the public who phoned the gardaí and watched him glance off a second car.

The 17-year-old abandoned his vehicle and ran away but was pursued by gardaí.

He was arrested by Garda Eoin O’Toole at Train Hill, Tramore.

“You can swing a hatchet at someone’s head and miss,” said Judge Harnettt.

“Some people might think of it as a minor issue. But to me it’s attempted murder,” he said.

“By behaving in driving a care or being in a car, he represented a serious threat to other road users. He left the scene and had no intention of stopping. Had someone been seriously injured, the emergency services would not have been called. There was serious criminal intent in what he did.”

Judge Harnett disqualified Marunseac from holding a licence for a year and ordered he pay fines totalling €1,000.

The court heard that Marunseac is now living in a centre in north county Dublin.