Judge strikes out five year old cases

Judge Eirinn McKiernan remarked it was a “very difficult case to deal with for an offence of this type five years later.”

The case was one in which a 33 year-old man from Limerick was charged with drug driving in Dunshaughlin at the start of the Covid pandemic in March 2020.

The defendant was also prosecuted for possession of drugs which was struck out because the state hadn’t a forensic certificate. The case was before Trim District Court on Thursday when the Judge was told that the summons had to be re-issued as initially it couldn’t be served.

Judge McKiernan acknowledged there was a backlog with summons. However balancing it all out and not attributing any blame to Gardai she decided to strike out the case.

The Judge also struck out a second case in which there was a delay in it being heard. The alleged offence also occurred five years ago. She was told the Garda in the case was absent from work for two years.