A man who had been found intoxicated and “slumped over the wheel” of his car while disqualified from driving was jailed for three months last week.
Andrej Fiodorov (33 ) with an address at 12 Lurgan Park, Renmore, appeared before Galway District Court last Monday and pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant at Monivea Road, Ballybane on November 1, 2008. He also pleaded guilty to the theft of groceries, valued €22.62, from Dunnes Stores, Edward Square, on December 21, 2008. A charge of failing to appear for a court sitting on November 26, 2008, was withdrawn.
Garda Michael Joyce who gave evidence of arrest, charge, and caution said that the defendant had been arrested at Dunnes Stores, Edward Square, on December 21, after being stopped by security men for attempting to leave the store without paying for items. While in custody, Garda Joyce said that gardai became aware that there was a bench warrant in existence.
Inspector Sean Glynn, who had applied for the defendant to be remanded in custody, told the court that on November 1 at 2.25am the defendant had been found drunk and sitting in the driver’s seat of his car and was arrested. He said that subsequent analysis at Galway Garda Station revealed a blood alcohol level of 91 mgs per 100ml of blood.
The court also heard how the defendant has a previous conviction for drink driving in July 2008 for which he had been disqualified for three years and fined €400.
Defence solicitor Adrian MacLynn said that his client, a married father of one from Lithuania, had been in the country for two years and was unemployed for the last four months. He said that Fiodorov had plans to take up work as a kitchen porter that afternoon but that his previous conviction and the attitude of the court could interfere with that. Mr MacLynn then asked Judge Mary Fahy to be as lenient as possible.
“It’s unfortunate but the alcohol reading is particularly high. He had been found in the car slumped over the wheel,” said Judge Fahy.
Fiodorov was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail and disqualified from driving for six years. For the theft a one-month concurrent sentence was imposed.
