Motorist parked in disabled space

From the Connaught Telegraph March 31st Edition

Motorist parked in disabled space

A SLIGO man with 13 previous traffic convictions was sentenced to 28 days imprisonment at Ballina Co. Mayo district Court last week.
The court heard Gregory Lynagh, Cullens, Sligo, was parked in a disabled parking bay at Abbey Street, Ballina, when Garda Martin McNicholas observed that his vehicle had no insurance disc or NCT disc.
The tax disc had expired in June of 2006. The defendant had 13 previous traffic convictions. The defendant told Judge Mary Devins he was parked in the disabled bay for 5 minutes when he went to buy a bag of chips.
There was no parking elsewhere in the area. He said he was unemployed and lived on his own in Dromore West. Judge Mary Devins told the defendant he could park his car elsewhere and walked to the chip shop instead of parking in a disabled bay.
She fined him €1,000 for not having insurance and disqualified him from driving for 5 years and sentenced him to 28 days imprisonment.
In relation to not having his car taxed, no NCT or driving license, Judge Devins fined the defendant a total of €900.