Taxi driver loses licence after incident with gardaí

A taxi driver lost his public service vehicle licence yesterday after he got into an altercation with gardaí on a night off and had to be pepper-sprayed.

Maurice Kiely, aged 41, formerly of Argideen Lawn in Togher, Cork, and now of no fixed address, said he had no other income apart from his taxi earnings.

He told a court yesterday he needed the licence for his livelihood. However, Mr Kiely was refused in his latest application for renewal of his PSV licence after he declared that, apart from parking and speeding fines, he had no convictions.

Sergeant Thomas Daly said it was later established he had three public order convictions arising out of one incident where he was convicted and fined €600 for obstructing gardaí, being threatening, abusive, and drunk, and a source of danger to himself or others at Grand Parade, Cork.

Sgt Daly said Mr Kiely locked his hands in front of his body and tried to spit at gardaí when they were handcuffing him and his behaviour was such that he had to be pepper-sprayed.

Judge Olann Kelleher said: “On the public street in Cork, he is rolling around and has to be pepper- sprayed. That is not a person who should be driving a taxi.”