Garda unable to positively identify accused driver
Wednesday March 10 2010
A RANGE of motoring charges against a Czech man have been thrown out of court because the garda who arrested him was unable to positively identify him in court.
Villiam Mroc of 32 Derrylea, Oakpark Tralee appeared at Tralee District Court last Wednesday charged with driving a car with an invalid tax disc and failure to produce a drivers licence at Castle Street on January 14 2009.
Garda Mary Linnane of Tralee Garda Station said she was on the beat on Castle Street when she saw a dangerously parked vehicle. When she approached the vehicle to ask the driver to move it she noticed the car had a tax disk on which the information related to another vehicle.
The driver told her he was Villiam Mroc of 32 Derrylea, Oakpark with a birthdate of October 2 1973 and he undertook to produce his driving licence at Tralee Garda Station within ten days.
In court last Wednesday Villiam Mroc said he was not the man stopped by Garda Linnane on the day in question and that he claimed that someone else had provided her with his name, address and date of birth.
Garda Linnae told the court she could not say "for 100 per cent" that the man in court was the man she had stopped on January 14 2009.
Judge James O'Connor said that as Garda Linnane was not able to positively identify the charged man in court he had not option but to dismiss the charges.
- SIMON BROUDER
