A Charlestown man who pleaded guilty to drunk driving, driving without insurance, and driving while disqualified was fined a total of €1,500, disqualified from driving for six years, and handed a three month prison sentence suspended for 12 months in Ballyhaunis District Court this week.
Paddy Ward, 40 Parkview, Charlestown pleaded guilty to the offences in court. Garda Alan Ryan told the court that on November 28 2008 at 12.30am he was driving behind a car outside Ballyhaunis when he saw it swerve into the grass verge and then back over the centre line a few times.
He pulled the car over and Ward fell back against the door of the car as he tried to get out, Garda Ryan arrested Ward and brought him to Ballyhaunis Garda station where Ward gave a blood sample which returned a reading of 207mgs of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
Garda Ryan continued that following investigations he discovered that Ward was currently serving a driving ban of three years imposed on him in Charlestown district court in October 2007. Judge Mary Devins convicted and fined Ward €750 for drunk driving, and disqualified him from driving for six years, for driving without insurance she convicted and fined him €750 and banned him from driving for two years to be served concurrently. And for driving while disqualified she convicted Ward and sentenced him to three months in prison suspended for 12 months.
