Company director admits putting green diesel in car 'in an emergency', Cork court told

The defendant was fined €2,500 with one month to pay the fine

The court heard that a fuel sample was taken at a garda checkpoint that was positive for marked gas oil. File photo

A company director whose vehicle was detected illegally using marked gas oil (green diesel) at a check point in Cork told the district court that he put the fuel in the vehicle the night before to deal with an emergency.

John O’Sullivan of Ballymackowen House, Clonakilty, Co. Cork and director of You n Me Milk Ltd of the same address faced one charge of using marked gas oil as the driver of the vehicle. 

You n Me Milk Ltd as owner of the vehicle faced two charges. By agreement the State withdrew the charges against the company.

Solicitor Darragh Healy acting for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) told the court that a checkpoint was set up an Ballinascarthy Crossroads near Clonakilty on August 3, 2025, at which O’Sullivan was stopped. 

A fuel sample was taken that was positive for marked gas oil and Mr O’Sullivan admitted putting green diesel in the vehicle’s fuel tank.

Representing himself, O’Sullivan said he had put a “small amount” of green diesel in the fuel tank at 1.30am because he had to “head west” to deal with an emergency where cattle had become trapped in cubicles. 

Mr Healy said the reading was relatively high and O’Sullivan told the court that he was stopped in the morning after he had put the fuel in the car and had not put any other fuel in afterwards. 

The court was told that O’Sullivan had no previous convictions. Judge John King convicted O’Sullivan and fined him €2,500 allowing one month to pay the fine.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme