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Greencastle mum's 4x4 seized
20.05.10
by Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen Independent
A GREENCASTLE woman involved in a tense six-hour VRT
stand-off with Revenue officials in Buncrana had her
4x4 seized yesterday. |
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The stand-off on Tuesday, involving up to 50 people,
developed after Margaret Davern claimed she was
prevented from giving evidence in court by customs
officials, who attempted to seize her
Northern-registered vehicle. |
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Ms Davern was due to appear as a witness on behalf
of the State in relation to a crash near Greencastle
last July, when two Revenue officers swooped on her
vehicle as she pulled into a car park beside Lidl
supermarket at 9.45am.
Explaining that she was due as a witness in court at
10am, Margaret was issued with an immediate penalty
of €420 for non-payment of Vehicle Registration Tax,
which, she said, she could not afford to pay.
An uneasy impasse then began as the Greencastle
woman refused to budge from her vehicle with the
customs officials parked beside it.
Ms Davern was accompanied by her daughter, Rebecca
Hanlon, and friend, Majella McColgan, who were also
due to testify but refused to leave the scene as the
situation became more and more heated and tears
streamed down Margaret’s face.
Summoned witnesses who fail to appear in court face
a fine for contempt and/or up to one month in
prison.
The Greencastle woman claims she bought the vehicle
in the North less than six weeks ago and produced a
cheque for €1,740 made out to the Customs and Excise
VRT Department, which she had not yet posted. The
cheque was dated 15/4/2010.
The VRT inspectors were keen to stress that they
were ‘holding the vehicle, not the ladies’ as a
garda arrived on the scene. |
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‘You’re not taking my
car off me,” Margaret shouted as she quickly wound
up the driver side window.
“I think it is disgusting that we should take a day
off to come to court to do our civic duty and be
treated like this,” Margaret told the Inishowen
Independent.
Almost four hours into the stand-off and remaining |
steadfast in the
driver’s seat, Margaret was joined by a group of
anti-VRT protestors, led by local councillor,
Padraig MacLochlainn, and Facebook campaigner, Ryan
Stewart, who had heard the drama unfold on a local
radio station.
With the event streaming live to more than 100
people on the internet, a crowd of up to 30
protestors, holding ‘VRT – Abolish It Now’ posters,
staged a picket in front of the customs officials’
car as four members of the gardai arrived.
A man who claimed he had been handcuffed hours
earlier while taking photos of customs officials
outside the Buncrana social welfare office joined
the peaceful protest, which was growing in numbers
by the minute.
Following consultation between the gardai and Cllr
MacLochlainn the customs officers emerged from their
vehicle to issue Margaret with a legal caution
before driving away at 2.30pm. The Greencastle
mother finally left the car-park at 3.30pm, almost
six hours after her ordeal began.
Furious Cllr MacLochlainn claimed Ms Davern had been
criminalised while attempting to fulfil her duty to
the State.
“This woman has been treated like a drug dealer
while attempting to give evidence on behalf of the
State. Who needs the British Army when we have the
customs and gardai to make sure we feel like we live
in two separate countries. We rely on tourists from
the North, are they all going to be criminalised for
driving cars in Inishowen?” he asked.
“While this Government pours billions of euro into
the banks they are chasing down ordinary decent
citizens for an unjust tax. I would defy any
politician to defend what has happened here today.
To Fianna Fáil I ask, ‘Is it really worth it?’”
When contacted yesterday afternoon the Office of the
Revenue Commissioners issued the following
statement:
“Revenue has an obligation to ensure that
legislation, as laid down by the Oireachtas, is
adhered to and that the law is enforced. The rules
are clear and Revenue will pursue the non-payment of
VRT.” |
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