A man from Mayo Abbey who, on seeing a Garda checkpoint, reversed his van around the corner, and then failed a breath test, was convicted and disqualified from driving at Castlebar District Court on Wednesday.
Garda John Daly was operating a checkpoint in Freehan, Mayo Abbey, Claremorris, at 1.40am on Monday October 27 2008, when a van coming from the Balla direction drove around the bend before it stopped and reversed back around the bend. Gda Daly went to the van, which was now parked on the side of the road and noticed that the engine was off and the keys were on the passenger seat.
Michael Nally, Kilbride, Mayo Abbey, Claremorris, told the garda that he could not get a taxi from Balla and that there was no tax on the van. Nally failed a roadside breath test and after he was arrested and brought to Castlebar Garda Station, his reading on the intoxilyser machine was 60mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath.
Nally, who had previous road traffic convictions, was convicted and fined €400 by Judge Mary Devins and disqualified from driving for two years.
