A man caught with over three times the legal limit of alchohol in his system was jailed last week (March10 ) and banned from driving for 10 years when it transpired he was stopped whilst still serving a previous ban and whilst uninsured.
Brendan O’Shaughnessy (40 ) of River Street, Clara was observed in his car weaving on the M6 outside Moate on April 22, and when stopped and intoxilised he returned a reading of 107/100. The limit in Ireland is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
When his previous convictions were read to the court, it transpired O’Shaughnessy was banned from driving in May 2008 in the Mullingar District Court for seven years, and had two other previous bans from Athlone and Galway District Courts.
“His previous convictions don’t speak very well for Mr O’Shaughnessy,” suggested Judge John Neilan.
In mitigation, defending solicitor Mr Padraig Quinn, told the court his client had been visiting his parents when he heard news that a child of his was very ill, so “he took his father’s car and drove”.
“His difficulties were due to a long standing alcohol addiction,” said Mr Quinn, who went on to say that, after seeking medical assistance “he hasn’t drank in 11 months”.
The court heard how O’Shaughnessy was a mechanic by trade and had obtained employment in a breakers yard in Ballycumber, Co Offaly.
“He’s now living in Kilbeggan, he doesn’t drive and doesn’t expect to drive for a considerable time,” said Mr Quinn, before asking the judge not to impose a custodial sentence.
Judge Neilan disagreed and sentenced O’Shaughnessy to five months in prison for driving whilst disqualified and a consecutive five months for driving whilst uninsured. He also extended O’Shaughnessy’s driving ban to 10 years, to commence 15 days from the date of conviction.
Bail was set at €300, with an independent surety of €600.
