Homeless Tuam man was sleeping in untaxed car in Galway city

A HOMELESS Tuam man prosecuted for not taxing the car he was living out of in Galway City had the case against him struck out at the local court.

The man appeared before Galway District Court last month for failing to display a tax disc on his black Audi on three occasions at Ballyloughane Road in Renmore.

A community warden with Galway City Council gave evidence of issuing fines for the offences on dates in November and December of last year and January this year.

The accused explained to Judge John King that he could not tax the car while homeless.

“I became homeless and had no address to send the tax disc – I couldn’t tax the car,” he said.

Solicitor Cian Nihill, on behalf of the local authority, accepted the man’s story “on face value”.

The warden agreed that taxing a vehicle requires an address.

The man confirmed he slept in the car in a public place when it was untaxed.

He was now living in temporary accommodation in a business office in Tuam and the car was in a private yard at Weir Road.

The man, who was on Jobseeker's Allowance, said the car was never going to be driven but added that it “means a lot to me”.

He did not want to get rid of it because it was purchased with cash gifted to him by someone who “showed humanity” when they learned he was homeless.

Striking out the summonses, Judge King said the car cannot be in a public place without tax, and suggested it be declared off the road.