A Ballybane man, with an extensive history of road traffic offences including drink driving, has been jailed for four months and banned from driving for 10 years.
Karl McCarthy (29 ) with an address given as 154 Rahylin Glebe, Ballybane, was brought in custody before Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court last Monday where he pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving without insurance or a driving licence, and failing to produce both documents at Ballybane Road on April 12, 2009.
The court heard that the defendant had been arrested on the morning of the court on foot of a bench warrant which had been issued in July of this year.
Inspector Brendan Carroll told the court that McCarthy had been spotted driving at Ballybane Road, was stopped and brought to Galway Garda Station where he gave an intoxiliser reading of 71mgs per 100mls of breath, twice the legal limit.
The inspector then informed Judge Fahy that the defendant had in total 30 previous convictions, 29 of which related to road traffic offences, and included jail sentences and 10 year driving disqualifications for offences such as drink driving and driving without insurance.
“So he was disqualified on this occasion... He had a Section 49 [drink driving conviction] prior to this and was disqualified for 10 years. He has 30 previous convictions in total, he is looking at a custodial sentence, but he knew that and that is why he did not show up,” said Judge Fahy.
Defence solicitor Alma Whelan said that her client had a serious problem with alcohol in the past but has since given up alcohol. She added that the separated father of three is “trying to mend his ways”.
Judge Fahy replied that part of McCarthy’s efforts to mend his ways should be not driving while disqualified, and to come into court, not on a bench warrant, to face up to the charges.
For drink driving McCarthy was convicted and sentenced to four months in jail and given a 10 year disqualification from driving. A three month jail sentence and 10 year disqualification, to run concurrently, were imposed for driving without insurance while the remaining charges were taken into consideration.
