A young songwriter who wrote the hit Angel for Robbie Williams begged a judge for leniency yesterday in a case where he had been fined €750 and banned from driving for not having car insurance.
Judge Patricia Ryan heard in the Circuit Court that Ray Heffernan (29) of Verdemont, Blanchardstown, Co Dublin, wanted his licence back so that he could visit his four-year-old daughter, Morgane, the child who inspired the song Williams made famous.
Mr Bernard McCabe, counsel for Heffernan, in a plea to reduce the fine and lift the 12-month driving disqualification, told Judge Ryan that although his client had written a famous song he was not a person of great means as a result of it.
Mr McCabe said Heffernan claimed not to have been fully recompensed by the Williams management stable for his song-writing talents and was currently earning only €300 a week from running a studio and songwriting.
He said Heffernan was the father of a four-year-old girl who lived with her mother in Ashbourne, Co Meath, a considerable distance from Blanchardstown. Being unable to drive had been presenting him with great difficulty in seeing her since he lost his licence.
Garda Desmond Gillanders told Ms Emma Moran, State Solicitor, that Heffernan had been caught driving without insurance on February 22nd, 2001, but had fully co-operated with gardaí in their investigation of a number of minor road traffic offences.
Judge Ryan told Heffernan she would lift the 12-month ban but had to allow the mandatory endorsement to remain on his licence. She affirmed a fine of €750 for the insurance offence and gave him 90 days to pay or five days' imprisonment in default.
Outside the court Heffernan said he had written the song in 1998 which had been inspired by the birth of Morgane.