Corkman gets driving ban and chance to gather compensation for assaulting garda

The court heard the probation service had observed a seismic shift in Christopher Cross' attitude to co-operating with them

Christopher Cross still faces charges of assault causing harm to Garda Ann O’Donovan, resisting arrest by Garda O’Donovan, and causing over €12,000 worth of damage to road survey equipment. File picture: Larry Cummins

A six-year driving ban has been imposed on a man who caused workmen on a traffic survey to take cover when he drove his van dangerously from Cork Airport crashing through some of their roadside equipment.

Judge Marian O’Leary imposed the driving disqualification on Christopher Cross for drink-driving at Cork District Court where she also fined him a total of €800 on this count and for the dangerous driving. 

However, he will not be sentenced until June 29, 2023, on three other charges. That is to allow him to gather compensation for the company whose equipment was damaged. Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said the accused man was working and keen to gather compensation.

Judge O’Leary said she would not adjourn it again after June and that he would be sentenced on that occasion on charges of assault causing harm to Garda Ann O’Donovan, resisting arrest by Garda O’Donovan, and causing over €12,000 worth of damage to road survey equipment.

Mr Burke said the probation service had observed a seismic shift in his attitude to co-operating with them. Initially, they found his attitude cavalier but now found that he was willing to engage fully with them. The solicitor said a period in prison had contributed to the defendant’s change of heart.

When the matter first came before Cork District Court it was stated that gardaí had to block the road with a patrol car to bring the dangerous situation under control and that the motorist kicked open his van door with such force that it injured the hand of a member of An Garda Síochána putting her out of work for one month.

Those were among the allegations made by Sergeant Brendan Barry Murphy in the case against Christopher Cross of 26 Ballincurrig Court, South Douglas Road, Cork.

The sergeant gave an outline of the alleged incident. He said that on August 12, 2021, it was reported that a van was being driven erratically from Cork Airport at a time when a traffic survey was being carried out on the roadside. 

It was alleged that staff who were carrying out this survey had to take evasive action but that their equipment was damaged by the erratically driven van. “It is alleged that the van was stopped at Hanly’s garden centre by a patrol car which had to pull across the road to stop it."

Sgt Barry Murphy said: “When approached by gardaí the driver resisted. Then he kicked the door of the van out, which hit Garda O’Donovan in her hand causing tendon damage to her finger. She was out of work for one month.”