A couple charged with separate offences arising from the same incident received two very different sentences in the District Court this week (January 30 ).
The court heard how Garda Keith Harrison stopped a jeep at 1am on November 16 in Ballykeeran that was “weaving on the road”.
The passenger, Ritchie Hackett (38 ), Bullet Road, Ballykeeran interfered with the garda as he attempted to question the driver, Bernice Kelly (40 ) of Newtown, Moate about drink driving.
“He got in the way and was quite unco-operative,” said Garda Harrison.
“I had to get assistance from Athlone.”
Solicitor Mark Cooney told the court Hackett “regrets his actions and accepts he shouldn’t have remonstrated with the garda”.
The prosecution told the court they were willing to withdraw the obstruction charge, leaving Hackett only facing two public order charges.
With no previous convictions, Hackett was given the benefit of the Probation Act by Judge David Anderson.
At Kelly’s appearance, Garda Harrison told the court that after he had formed his opinion as to the state of her sobriety and made the arrest, she returned a reading of 51 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath in Athlone Garda station.
Mr Cooney asked Garda Harrison where he had made the arrest and he was told Kelly’s car had just turned from the High Road for the Low Road at the Dog and Duck pub.
“Are you aware of the townlands?” he asked.
“Yes. I stopped the car in Ballykeeran. I checked it on the map when I returned to the station,” said Gda Harrison, who confirmed he stopped the car about 200m up the Low Road from the pub.
“Mr Cooney, is it your point that there is no place called Ballykeeran?” asked the judge.
“Only Ballykeeran Little or Ballykeeran Big,” said Mr Cooney after consulting with the ordnance survey.
“Is the obligation to name the townland [on the charge sheet]?” asked the judge.
“Yes,” said Mr Cooney.
“It has been clearly indicated,” said the judge before he fined Kelly €500 and banned her from driving for two years and one day.
