Six-month sentence for driving offence ‘a joke’

The maximum possible sentence of six months for driving without insurance was branded as a joke yesterday by a district court judge dealing with the case of a man with 20 previous convictions for the same offence.

Graham Hornibrook, of 26 Churchfield Gardens, Churchfield, Cork, pleaded guilty yesterday to offences that included driving without insurance.

He was disqualified from driving for five years at the time he was caught for this latest offence. Inspector Michael McGuire said Hornibrook, aged 30, had 185 previous convictions — including 20 for driving with no insurance.

Michael Quinlan, defence solicitor, said that in effect the defendant never had insurance to drive.

Judge Olann Kelleher said in the context of Hornibrook’s multiple convictions for the same offence over many years, “it seems a joke that the maximum sentence is only six months for no insurance”.

A discount on the maximum is usually allowed to a defendant who pleads guilty.

However, Judge Kelleher said that, notwithstanding, the plea of guilty in this case, he was imposing the maximum sentence of six months in prison. He also disqualified Hornibrook from driving for eight years.

Inspector McGuire said the incident occurred on Jun 26, 2013, at the North City Link Road, where Hornibrook was stopped driving a Nissan Almeira without insurance.

Hornibrook also pleaded guilty to other offences for which lesser, concurrent periods in prison were imposed in default of immediate payments of fines.