A Deliveroo cyclist who “sped straight through” a busy intersection during rush hour after running a red light in front of gardaí was living and working illegally in Ireland at the time.
Gabriel Marinho Soares (35) admitted to dangerous driving on an e-bike, in an incident that the court heard had “potential for calamity.”
Judge Monika Leech imposed a €350 fine at Dublin District Court.
Soares, who resided at Mountjoy Square West, also pleaded guilty to failing to produce immigration documentation and lacking a work permit.
Garda Stephen Walsh testified that at 6:40 pm on August 21, he observed Soares “fly straight through” a red light at the busy junction of Rathmines Road Lower, Grove Road, and Canal Road.
“He swerved in between cars,” Gda Walsh said. “He went right through the middle of the junction while the light was red on his side.”
When stopped, Soares presented gardaí with an expired GNIB card. He had been riding an e-bike with a top speed of 45 km/h, Gda Walsh added.
The court heard that Soares had been illegally in the country since May 21 of this year. He had arrived from Brazil in 2021 to learn English but was denied an extension of his visa.
The accused previously worked at a nightclub before delivering for Deliveroo. He had no prior convictions.
Defence solicitor Luke Staines said Soares acknowledged that his cycling was “particularly poor” that day and apologized to the gardaí and other road users.
He accepted that he should not have been in the country or working.
Judge Leech noted that this was not a case of someone accidentally cycling through a red light on a motorized bike; it was a very busy junction during rush hour with “potential for calamity.”
However, she took into account the fact that he “honestly put his hands up” and pleaded guilty.
