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Alan O'Callaghan http://www.clarecoco.ie

Judge says Fianna Fáil councillor 'wriggled like a worm at the end of a hook' and told 'a pack of lies'

Alan O’Callaghan was faced with a fixed charge penalty notice prosecution.

A JUDGE TOLD a court today that a Fianna Fáil councillor “has wriggled like a worm at the end of a hook” and told “a pack of lies” concerning a road prosecution.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan said that Alan O’Callaghan engaged in “a common scam” and showed nothing but contempt for the system when faced with a fixed charge penalty notice prosecution.

In the case, member of Clare County Council and current cathaoirleach of the Killaloe (east Clare) electoral area, Alan O’Callaghan today changed his plea from not guilty to guilty to making a false nomination of a driver caught speeding.

In evidence, Garda Seamus Gleeson said that after O’Callaghan received the fixed charge for speeding, O’Callaghan notified Gardai that “a Paul Roche from the Republic of Nigeria” was driving his 06 registered BMW X5 jeep when O’Callaghan was accused of speeding on 1 June 2016 at Dough, Lahinch.

Garda Gleeson told the court that O’Callaghan’s nomination attracted the interest of the investigation unit and it found that O’Callaghan was driving the vehicle on the day after producing a blown up photo of O’Callaghan driving.

Gleeson said that he subsequently met with O’Callaghan and showed him the blown up photo to show that he was driving.

A member of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC), O’Callaghan paid the speeding fine but was subsequently charged with making a false nomination.

O’Callaghan’s councillor role was not revealed to the court today and at the outset, O’Callaghan of Rosroe, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, was contesting the case but then changed his plea to guilty midway through the case.

Driving ban

In the case, Judge Durcan banned O’Callaghan from driving for one year and imposed a €750 fine.

He said that O’Callaghan “has shown nothing but contempt for the system”.

He said: #

Mr O’Callaghan has wriggled like a worm at the end of a hook until basically confronted in this court with the reality.

Judge Durcan said:

“Basically he was engaged in what is becoming a common scam to get out of having to pay and deal with a Fixed Charge Penalty Notice.

Let’s call a spade a spade and forget about shovels. That is what this is all about – ‘nominate a friend from Nigeria and drive off’ – but he was caught.

Judge Durcan told O’Callaghan’s solicitor, Stiofán Fitzpatrick that his client has “told a pack of lies”.

Fitzpatrick said that O’Callaghan’s “friend, Mr Roche was present and using his vehicle at the time. O’Callaghan spoke to his friend and his friend said “I was driving the vehicle on that day” and O’Callaghan filled out the nomination and furnished all relevant details”.

“Honest belief”

Mr Fitzpatrick said:

Mr O’Callaghan’s instruction to me that is this was his honest belief at the time when he filled out the nomination that he wasn’t the driver.

In response, Judge Durcan said that he doesn’t believe a word that Alan O’Callaghan has instructed in relation to the matter.

Judge Durcan said he was “satisfied that he engaged in this scam in regard to the Fixed Charge Penalty Notice system and his approach is nothing short of contemptible”.

Fitzpatrick said that his client drives for a living and has his own fuel delivery business and also operates a pub.

Speaking outside court after the case, a clearly shaken O’Callaghan confirmed that will be appealing to the circuit court.

O’Callaghan said that he “100% absolutely denies” the judge’s comment that he was involved in a scam.

He said he it “hurtful”.

“I felt very hurt to be honest about it. That is that is not the way I am about. That isn’t the way I would be working,” he said.

I never even got penalty points before. I have no other road traffic offence.

O’Callaghan said that it was his honest belief at the time that it was his friend who was driving the jeep. He said that Mr Roche wired him over the money to pay the speeding fine.

O’Callaghan said that Roche was over for 10 days and doing work in Lahinch.

O’Callaghan said that if he loses his driving licence, he will lose his livelihood.

Read: Fugitive murderer who escaped from Derry prison is arrested in Dublin, then released

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    Mute Brian harris
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:25 AM

    The cherry on the cake is Saudi are on the UN council for human rights. Money talks folks.

    539
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    Mute Jim Ni Suilleabhain
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:51 AM

    @Brian harris:
    It’s a phuckin joke isn’t it.

    Israel sum to be pulling an Israel. Slaughtering and murdering thousands of people in Yemen, bullying those who object, and meddling in the affairs of other nations.

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    Mute Brian harris
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    Aug 7th 2018, 5:48 PM

    @Jim Ni Suilleabhain: True Jim. Israel and Saudi seem to be close allies led by the yanks and brits who supply the weapons.

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    Mute George Vladisavljevic
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:37 AM

    Well done Canada. About time that somebody tells Saudi Arabia what they think of them.

    Perhaps the next step should be is the stopping the sale of weapons to them as well.

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    Mute George Vladisavljevic
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    Aug 7th 2018, 1:34 PM

    “Trudeau argues that sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles is in line with Canada’s foreign and defense policies”

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/21/justin-trudeau-defends-canada-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Aug 7th 2018, 11:37 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: And Israel is giving the Saudis plans on how to build a nuclear power plant with plans on how to build nukes, Israel probably get hit by those nukes first???

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    Mute Kevin Sweeney
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    Aug 8th 2018, 12:44 AM

    @George Vladisavljevic: Trudeau parks his principles so as not to get in the way of business and Real Politics

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:27 AM

    Its time the Saudis came out from living in the Dark ages ,Human rights go beyond borders and sovereignty.Canada should be supported by all believers in democracy and civil liberties

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    Mute Jay Coleman
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:18 AM

    @Anthony Gallagher: the 10,000 or so princes would prefer if they don’t. That way they can spend their billions of dollars on fast cars, prostitutes, drugs and other excesses while in Europe while telling their people what they can and cannot do back home.
    Someday their people will realize that while they’ve been prostrating themselves before Allah their leaders have been indulging all the things they claim are evil symptoms of western countries.

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    Mute Franny Mac
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:03 AM

    Hopefully the Canadians don’t retaliate with similar measures lest they be accused of a Muslim ban.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:09 AM

    How many immigrants has the US backed saudis taken in since the conflict started. none.

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    Mute Ian James Burgess
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:41 AM

    Are these the same people taking over Waterford?

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    Mute Donal
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:11 AM

    Time to shut down all contact with Saudis and kick them out of every civilized country. They are responsible for terrible atrocities and funding IS.

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    Mute David Knight
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:41 AM

    Saudi Arabia – “If you criticise us, there will be consequences.”
    Canada – “Ok, Eff Off.”

    Except the Canadians are way to polite to give this response..

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    Mute andrew
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    Aug 7th 2018, 2:17 PM

    @David Knight: And way too compromised by their sale of arms to Saudi

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    Mute Toby Thedogk
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    Aug 7th 2018, 12:48 PM

    Europe needs to stand firm with the canadians. I believe that leo has asked the powers in brussels to unfriend them on facebook – that will teach them not to threaten another 9 11 on our friends.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 7th 2018, 1:56 PM

    @Toby Thedogk: Saudi Arabia threatened another 9/11?

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Aug 7th 2018, 2:36 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: Not sure what was meant there either .. But Bin Laden and his Contruction Empire family were/are Saudi’s and current Saudi Dictator, who Obama even went to congragulate on his corranation, was the chief cheque writer for ISIS.

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    Mute Toby Thedogk
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    Aug 7th 2018, 3:31 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: yesterday they posted a picture of a plane about to hit a canadian building on an official saudi twitter account. Since deleted. Western media must have been told to not to report it.

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    Mute Brian Smith
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    Aug 7th 2018, 2:16 PM

    Why don’t the left wing groups protest as much outside Saudi or Turkish embassy’s or visits, as much as they would Trump?

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Aug 7th 2018, 1:55 PM

    Why would ANYONE in their right mind ever want to even consider this medieval country,

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    Mute Denis McClean
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    Aug 7th 2018, 12:21 PM

    Saudi diplomacy – No-one talks about anything.- except US.

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    Mute Hardly Normal
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:01 AM

    Fu.ck Saudi Arabia I say, much prefer Russian petrol anyway.

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Aug 7th 2018, 2:33 PM

    Saudis are not evil .. America says so .

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Aug 7th 2018, 11:34 PM

    @Irish Bob: Wahhabism was invented there instead of soccer, says everything about kicking a wife about instead of a ball as a past time?

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Aug 7th 2018, 11:35 PM

    @Irish Bob: The US is acting now more like Babylon than the Babylonians were lol.

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    Mute Clear And Graphic
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    Aug 7th 2018, 7:02 PM

    “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” So a said Edmund Burke.

    At least Canada spoke up. The rotten Irish elected in our Dail, are either too cowardly to speak up or too busy with their political games, to do the right thing. Meanwhile women’s rights suffer still.

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    Mute Skybloo
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    Aug 7th 2018, 3:52 PM

    World has gone into crazy chaos …. all these toys being thrown out of all these prams.

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