A Longford businessman has been sentenced to two years in jail for staging a road accident between a truck and a car.
Aloysius Manning (57), from Newtownforbes, was found guilty by a jury last month of conspiracy to defraud the Guardian PMPA company (now AXA) after he took part in the incident at Anaduff, Drumsna, Co Leitrim, in April 1994.
A cheque for €89,437 was paid out in connection with the accident.
Judge Joseph Matthews imposed the two-year jail sentence despite a plea from Manning's wife of 35 years that such a decision would leave their family penniless and homeless.
He said that despite the testimony from Manning's very loving and supportive wife and nine other character witnesses, he could not ignore the fact that the crime involved conspiracy with others in the preparation of a criminal offence.
"I have a duty to let it be known from this court that a crime where there is planning and calculation is a grave matter because it can have an effect on the community by increasing (insurance) premiums whereas otherwise they would remain at a lower level," he said.
Manning was found guilty last month of conspiring with the Longford garage owner Michael Byrne, and another man, Gerard Smith to stage the 1994 accident.
He was the driver of a truck and a low loader carrying a Caterpillar excavation machine which collided with a Ford Sierra car late at night.
The car had been placed on the wrong side of the road around a bend by Mr Smith, who later confessed his role in the scam to gardaí. He was given the Probation Act at the district court while Mr Byrne was given a five-year jail sentence after being convicted of another insurance scam and admitting to six other similar offences involving staged accidents.
PA