'Simply has to stop' - Man who crashed into St Patrick's Day parade 'blamed his dog'

A man who crashed into a mini steam engine at a St Patrick’s Day Parade in Stradbally, Co Laois is living in extreme squalor and would have been rescued if he was an animal, a court was told. 

Raymond Barrett (60) of Luggacurran was convicted in his absence of two counts of dangerous driving, having no tax or driving licence and engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour at Main Street, Stradbally on March 17, 2024 at a sitting of Portlaoise District Court on January 2, 2025. 

A bench warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to appear in court for sentencing on Tuesday, January 14. Garda Brian Kelly later brought the man to court where he appeared before Judge Andrew Cody. 

Brian Mallon BL said “I think he was having trouble travelling to court but he is attending in a wheelchair.” He said his client had been unable to attend before and had intended on pleading guilty. 

Mr Mallon said the man was living alone in “extreme, for want of a better word, squalor” in Luggacurran. He explained that the man suffered with severe mobility issues and was very unwell.

He said his client wished to express his deepest apologies to the child and woman who had been injured in the collision and to the gardaí for his behaviour on the day.  He said a local shopkeeper, Sylvester Phelan, was trying to assist Mr Barrett. 

“Mr Phelan, who is present, is making efforts to assist Mr Barrett in finding more suitable accommodation,” said Mr Mallon. 

Mr Phelan took to the stand and explained that he ran a shop in Stradbally and knew Mr Barrett as a customer. He said the defendant’s living conditions are “so bad it is a special case.”

“It is an extreme case. If I may use an analogy, if Raymond Barrett was an animal he would have been rescued a year ago,” he said. 

Mr Phelan brought a selection of photographs of the defendant’s living conditions. He said the man had come into town to get food and “didn’t intend to have an accident” on the date in question. 

Mr Phelan said the man was let down by “health board services” and was living “in very bad circumstances” as he offered to show Judge Cody photographs. 

“There is a young 12 year-old boy that needs skin grafts to his legs and that is no joke,” said Judge Cody, who told Mr Phelan that he had to keep that in mind. 

Mr Phelan said the defendant was also traumatised by the accident. 

“After this accident Mr Barrett told Garda Kelly to f off and described him in the most derogatory terms, that he was two ends of a prick,” Judge Cody recalled. 

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Judge Cody also noted the defendant had shown little or no concern for the injured parties on the date in question and displayed a very poor attitude to both Gardai and bystanders. He said the man had “attempted to blame his dog” and he didn't accept that excuse. 

He did accept that the defendant was unwell but said mobile phone footage of the St Patrick's Day collision show no brakes were applied when the crash occurred. 

“He collided with the miniature steam engine and its two passengers,” said Judge Cody. 

“Regretably there comes a time in many people’s lives when their mobility is so compromised that they cannot drive safely,” he said. 

Judge Cody noted the defendant had surrendered his driving licence in Athy District Court last September. 

He said the defendant needed to now avail of all of the services available to him so that he could live his life with some dignity. 

“What he cannot do is continue to drive… I wish him well but that simply has to stop,” said Judge Cody. 

Judge Cody was told the man had two previous convictions. He fined the man €100 for dangerous driving and disqualified him for four years and fined him a further €100 for engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour and took the rest of the offences into consideration.