A resident of Arranmore Island, off the coast of Donegal, explained to a judge that he drove his car without insurance to obtain essential groceries.
“It was an emergency,” Oleksandr Karpenko asserted before Judge Eiteáin Cunningham at Letterkenny District Court.
The 32-year-old was stopped on the R251 at Kilmore at 6:30 PM on December 20, 2024. Gardaí stopped him after their mobility app flagged his Seat Alhambra as uninsured.
When asked to produce proof of insurance, Karpenko conceded that he had none.
Representing himself in court, Karpenko told Judge Cunningham, “It was just an emergency because I don’t usually drive the car.”
When questioned about the nature of the emergency, Karpenko stated, “I live on an island and I had to buy groceries.”
Karpenko’s address is Fallagowan, Arranmore Island.
Judge Cunningham responded, “You have to buy groceries every week; that is not an emergency. You shouldn’t be driving without insurance.”
Karpenko was found guilty and fined €200, but he avoided a driving disqualification on this occasion.
However, Judge Cunningham cautioned Karpenko that another similar offense would result in a four-year driving ban.
Island hopping for shopping while uninsured is not an emergency – Judge was last modified: June 11th, 2025 by
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