Possession of drugs and dangerous driving were among the cases heard in Wexford
Wexford PeopleA number of cases were heard at Wexford and Gorey district court recently.
Noreen Cash (23) of 32 Cluain Dara, Enniscorthy, Wexford, was before the court on charges of theft. The court heard that Cash entered a plea of guilty to theft to the amount of €234.74.
Garda Hayes gave evidence that the accused used a credit card to pay for items in a store on July 26 2024.
The credit card then declined the payment on August 23 2024. Lana Doherty, solicitor for the accused, relayed Cash’s apologies to the court and stated she had saved €50 to give as compensation in this matter.
Judge Cheatle adjourned the matter to December 11 for compensation to be paid of the total value of the theft. If this amount is paid then the matter will be struck out, in circumstances where it is not paid the Cash will be convicted and fined €500 with 6 months to pay.
A Wexford man plead guilty to multiple road traffic offences.
John Nash (32) of 125 Mount Prospect plead guilty to drug driving, driving without insurance, driving while disqualified, and dangerous driving.
Nash plead not guilty to an incident of dangerous driving on June 4 2025. Garda Brophy gave evidence to the court that he had the belief Nash was driving between the hours of 9pm-11pm each night even though he is disqualified from driving.
On the night in question at approximately 9.21pm Garda Brophy was driving an unmarked patrol car when he passed a vehicle being driven by Nash.
Video footage taken from the patrol car shows the car being driven by the accused come in to the Circle K petrol station at Clonard Road and quickly come back out turning left.
Garda Brophy activated the lights and sirens and gave chase reaching speeds of 100kmh on this 60kmh stretch of road to keep up with the vehicle. The video footage played to the court showed the vehicle take off at speed, fail to stop at a stop sign where the vehicle turned right onto Knockcumshin. Along this road the vehicle almost collided with another car.
The car then turns towards the New Ross road roundabout where it enters the roundabout in the incorrect lane and begins travelling on the N25 where the driver over takes three vehicles on a continuous white line on a blind bend. Heading in to Barntown which is a 60kmh area the patrol car is travelling a speed of 141kmh to keep up.
Continuing towards Barntown the speed is increased to 173 kmh when the driver slams on the brakes and turns into Londis garage.
At this point Garda Brophy continues towards the roundabout and places the nose of the patrol car in front of the vehicle where he stated the accused can be seen driving the car and making an attempt to hide his face with his hands.
The vehicle being driven by the accused then continues towards Taghmon where the dangerous driving continued, the driver again overtakes on a continuous white line on a bend, and drives using both sides of the road.
Garda Brophy made a risk assessment and due to having two positive ID’s of the driver decided to no longer pursue the car.
Following the incident Garda Brophy called to the home of Nash where his partner informed him Nash is not home.
The woman called Nash who spoke to Garda Brophy on the phone. Garda Brophy informed Nash of what he observed and asked him to attend at Wexford Garda Station at which point Nash became volatile and aggressive causing Garda Brophy to discontinue the call.
Andrew Bolger BL, instructed by Tim Cummings solicitor, remarked to the court that in the initial sighting of Nash the vehicles are moving towards each other and so Garda Brophy would have only received a glancing look at the driver. In the second visual Mr. Bolger pointed out that the driver partially covered his face and so it would be difficult to identify the driver at speed.
Gardaí never stopped the vehicle or spoke to Nash on the day. Garda Brophy stated that the footage is not great but he knows what he seen on the day, especially since the accused is known to him personally for 15 years.
Mr Bolger BL called the accused to give evidence who informed the court he was away in Dublin for work on the day in question and did not arrive home until 10pm.
Nash informed the court he does not have a car and had been dropped home on the day.
However, Nash could not provide details of who he was working with and did not have someone to give evidence to this effect.
Judge Cheatle stated the barrister made a good point in that the driver cannot be made out on the footage. However, the judge found the State’s evidence to be more compelling and convincing.
The Gardaí outlined the remaining road traffic offences that were before the court in relation to the accused which included further incidents of dangerous driving when Gardaí observed him driving while disqualified around Wexford Town.
Judge Cheatle gave Nash credit for his guilty pleas in these matters and did not activate previous suspended sentence. He imposed three 6 month consecutive sentences, and a further 6 month sentence suspended for 18 months. The accused was also disqualified from driving for 6 years.
A woman was before the court for a charge of possession of drugs for the purposes of sale and supply on February 2 2021. Tracey Hutchinson (34) of 99 Fearach Cnoic, The Paddocks, Enniscorthy, Wexford, plead guilty to the offence.
Garda Murphy gave evidence that the search of Hutchinson’s former partner, Charlie Hollwill, resulted in Gardaí obtaining a warrant to search the home where they discovered 23 grams of chloromethcathinone (‘blow’) to the value of €1,150 in a handbag which the accused admitted was for the purposes of sale and supply.
Donna Kelly BL, instructed by Marie Murphy solicitor for the defendant, informed the court that Hutchinson was in a relationship with Charlie Hollwill (28) of Carrigabruse, Enniscorthy, Wexford, at the time and their relationship can only be described as toxic which the Gardaí are aware of.
Ms. Kelly BL told the court Hutchinson was subject to a considerable amount of abuse at the hands of Hollwill who served a prison sentence for an assault on Hutchinson in 2021.
Ms. Kelly BL told the court that her client is no longer involved in criminality and she is a lady that the court will not see again.
Judge Cheatle stated what Ms. Kelly BL was saying in terms of the accused’s relationship is plausible and in those circumstance it was a positive thing that their relationship ended.
Judge Cheatle remarked that this charge usually carries a prison sentence but Hutchinson was in bad company and in those circumstances he adjourned the matter for a year, to July 2 2026 to ensure Hutchinson does not come to any adverse Garda attention in that year before striking the matter out.
Hutchinson’s former partner, Charlie Hollwill, was also in court on charges of possession of drugs. Garda Murphy gave evidence that on February 12 2021 he carried out a search of Hollwill where he discovered “blow” to the value of €1,000 in the jacket pocket of the accused.
Garda Murphy confirmed to the court the accused has a significant amount of previous convictions, 46 in total. Lana Doherty, solicitor for Hollwill, outlined to the court that her client had spent a significant amount of time in custody since 2021 for an assault on his former partner, Tracey Hutchinson, and criminal damage charges.
Ms. Doherty told the court Hollwill is now back on his feet and is in rented accommodation after a period of significant struggle in his life.
Judge Cheatle took into account the number of previous convictions the accused has and imposed a sentence of 10-months imprisonment suspended for 2 years due to the delay in the matter coming before the court.
Conor Aidan Duffy (36) of 86 Bridgewood Manor, Melitta Road, Kildare, accepted he was speeding on April 18 2024. Garda McCormack gave evidence that Duffy was travelling on the M11 at a speed of 142km/h on a 120km/h road.
The accused gave evidence he did not receive the fixed charge notice in circumstances where the estate he lives in is newly built and there are issues with the postcode. Judge Cheatle gave Duffy the benefit of the doubt and struck the matter out.
Luke Lamb (42) of 15 Ramstown View, Gorey, Wexford, plead guilty to charges of drunk driving. Garda McCormack gave evidence that on October 4 2024 Lamb was stopped and provided a breath sample which gave a reading of 33-micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Judge Cheatle disqualified Lamb from driving for 6-months.
Giorgi Tskhovrebashvili (27) of Courtown Hotel, Courtown Harbour, Gorey plead guilty to drug driving. Tskhovrebashvili has no previous convictions. Judge Cheatle disqualified the defendant from driving for a period of 12-months.
An Enniscorthy man plead guilty to charges of no insurance and no license. Daniel Veresan (45) of 4 Island Road, Enniscorthy, Wexford, was before the court in relation to two charges of driving without a license and driving with no insurance on February 2 2025 and March 10 2025.
Lana Doherty, solicitor for the accused, informed the court that Veresan has children who he was bringing to school on a morning of heavy rain on one of the instances when he was stopped. Judge Cheatle disqualified Veresan from driving for 2-years and imposed a €200 fine.
Luca Fabian (54) of Flower Lodge, Killagoley, Enniscorthy, Wexford, was fined €120 with 4 months to pay for driving at a speed of 71kmh on the R702 Enniscorthy which is a 50kmh road.
A woman had a no insurance matter struck out in circumstances where she purchased insurance on a new vehicle on a Sunday with the insurance beginning on the Monday.
Charmaine Mary Corkish (27) was stopped for a speeding offence when Garda Cashman observed the vehicle did not have insurance. Corkish paid the speeding fine and the circumstances surrounding the insurance were explained to the court, Judge Cheatle struck the matter out.
In similar circumstances Esther Chinwe Osuji (51) of 24 Church View, Arklow, Wicklow, was before the court on a no insurance matter. Osuji had purchased the car on a bank holiday weekend and the insurance had not come into effect on the day in question.
Garda Doyle gave evidence that he stopped Osuji on February 3 2025 when she was driving the car back after the purchase with her husband driving a car in front of her as she was still a learner driver, the accused paid the fine in relation to the charge of driving unaccompanied and the issue of no insurance was struck out by Judge Cheatle in the circumstances.
Thomas Connors (33) of 6 Canon Park, Clonroche, Wexford, was before the court in relation to not wearing a seatbelt. Connors accepted that he was not wearing a seatbelt on the day in question but claimed he did not receive the fixed charge notice.
Garda Downes gave evidence that Connors has had seven fixed charge notices issued to him in the past and put it to the accused he did receive the fine and has a history of not paying same. Judge Cheatle stated he finds it hard to believe the accused did not receive the fixed charge notice and fined €120 with 4-months to pay.
Farai Takaendesa (49) of 1 Kingsbrook, Ballygannon, Rathdrum, Wicklow, plead guilty to charges of no insurance. Garda Downes told the court the accused’s insurance had expired in November 2024 when he was stopped in February 2025. Judge Cheatle fined Takaendesa €250 with 8-months to pay.