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# Clare
Former Labour TD appears in court charged with dangerous driving and obstructing a Garda
Michael McNamara is contesting all charges.
FORMER LABOUR TD Michael McNamara today appeared in court charged with dangerous driving and obstructing a Garda during the course of his duties.
Former TD for Clare, McNamara appeared in relation to the two alleged offences at Killaloe District Court sitting at O’Donovan’s pub in Ballina.
McNamara is pleading his innocence to the charges and is to fully contest the prosecution at a hearing later this year.
Lawyer and farmer McNamara has hired road traffic law expert and barrister Martin Dully BL to lead his defence team in the case.
McNamara is charged with dangerous driving contrary to Section 53 (1) of the Road Traffic Act near his home at Tobernagath, Scarriff, in east Clare on 10 December 2016.
McNamara is also charged with resisting and obstructing Garda Darren McLaughlin during the course of his duties under Section 19 of the Public Order Act at the same location as the alleged dangerous driving on the same date.
Those convicted in the District Court of obstructing a Garda in the course of their duties face a jail sentence of up to six months or a fine of €635 while those convicted of dangerous driving in the district court face up to six months in jail and a fine of €127.
The alleged offences took place almost 10 months after McNamara lost his seat in the 2016 General Election.
At O’Donoovan’s pub in Ballina today, Dully told Judge Brian O’Shea that the case will take two hours when evidence is heard in the case in December.
The former TD was in court today for the brief hearing into the case where Judge O’Shea ordered that all State documents be disclosed to the defence following an application by Dully.
O’Shea adjourned the case to 25 October to Ennis District Court for mention to get an update on the disclosure issues and adjourned the case for hearing to Killaloe District Court on 5 December.
Comments are closed as the case is before the courts
