Two men have appeared before a court charged with dangerous driving during a slow-moving fuel protest on a major motorway in Ireland.
The accused—Aaron Goss, 22, from Ballymakellett, Ravensdale, Dundalk, and Ryan Quinn, 29, from Dobbin Road, Richhill, Co Armagh—were presented before Judge Nicola Andrews at Louth District Court sitting in Drogheda.
Both men were arrested by Gardaí during a fuel protest on the M1 near Dundalk on Monday. They are believed to be among the first individuals to face charges in connection with the ongoing protests that began last week.
Charges and Court Proceedings
Each of the accused faces one count of driving in a manner deemed dangerous to the public, or likely to be so, under Section 53(1) of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, as amended by the Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011. The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to €5,000 at the District Court level.
Inspector Kevin Toner of Drogheda Garda Station informed the court that officers responded to reports of alleged dangerous driving at Braganstown, Castlebellingham, south of Dundalk, at approximately 6pm on Monday.
According to the prosecution, trucks involved in the protest were observed being driven at speeds and in a manner that posed a potential risk to other road users.
Bail Granted with Conditions
The accused were taken into custody and brought to Drogheda Garda Station following their arrest. However, Inspector Toner indicated that there was no objection to bail, provided certain conditions were met, including that the defendants commit no further offences.
Defence solicitor Paddy Goodwin raised no objections to the conditions.
Both men were subsequently granted bail on a bond of €300 each and are scheduled to reappear before the court on May 11.
Public Response
A small group of supporters gathered outside Drogheda Courthouse following the hearing, applauding the accused as they exited the premises.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.