Cork court: Driver fined for green diesel use

A company director whose vehicle was detected illegally using marked gas oil (green diesel) at a checkpoint in Cork told the district court he put the fuel in the vehicle the night before to deal with an emergency.

John O’Sullivan, of Ballymackowen House, Clonakilty, Co Cork and director of You ’n’ Me Milk Ltd of the same address, faced one charge of using marked gas oil as the driver of the vehicle. You ’n’ Me Milk Ltd, as owner of the vehicle, faced two charges. By agreement, the State withdrew the charges against the company.

Solicitor Darragh Healy, acting for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), told the court that a checkpoint was set up an Ballinascarthy Crossroads, near Clonakilty, on August 3, 2025, at which O’Sullivan was stopped. A fuel sample was taken that was positive for marked gas oil and Mr O’Sullivan admitted putting green diesel in the vehicle’s fuel tank.

Representing himself, O’Sullivan said he had put a “small amount” of green diesel in the fuel tank at 1.30am, because he had to “head west” to deal with an emergency, where cattle had become trapped in cubicles. Mr Healy said the reading was relatively high and O’Sullivan told the court that he was stopped in the morning, after he had put the fuel in the car and had not put any other fuel in afterwards. The court was told O’Sullivan had no previous convictions.

Judge John King convicted O’Sullivan and fined him €2,500, allowing one month to pay.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.