A man who produced a reading nearly twice the legal limit for driving on August 4 left court with an unblemished record last Tuesday (December 2 ) after it was finally proven the place of arrest on his charge sheet was incorrect.
Edmond Naughton (30 ) from Mount William Court, Athlone had to wait a week to find out if he was going to be disqualified after the judge couldn’t decide between the defendant’s solicitor and the Gardai as to where the man had been stopped.
The argument pending between State and defence was whether the canal bridge at the entrance to Iona Park on the old Galway Road was Bogganfin or Ranelagh.
However, in court on Tuesday, after being told last week by Judge David Anderson to get his “experts working on the maps”, Inspector Nicholas Farrell confirmed the place of arrest was neither of the above.
“It’s called Canal Banks, judge,” he told the court. “The canal is a townland all of its own.”
Judge Anderson accepted this and dismissed the drink driving charge against Naughton.
