A man in his 40s who drove off at speed from a Garda checkpoint was convicted and disqualified at Castlebar District Court this week, for not providing a sample after he was subsequently arrested on the suspicion of drink driving.
Tom McNally, 49 Pairc na Coile, Westport, failed to stop at a checkpoint being conducted at Deerpark East, Westport, on March 23 2009 at 12.10am. Gardaí followed the car and the driver was subsequently taken to Castlebar Garda station where he refused to provide a specimen.
According to defending solicitor Aidan Crowley McNally, who was accompanied in the car by his 75-year-old father on the night, got into an altercation with the gardaí when he was stopped, and as his agitation continued when he was in the station he refused to provide a sample.
The defendant, who lived in the United States before moving to Ireland, owns a licensed premises in Castlebar and has previous road traffic convictions.
Mr Crowley asked Judge Mary Devins if the disqualification could come into effect after the defendant’s sister visits in June, as McNally needs his car to collect her from the airport.
Judge Devins convicted and fined McNally €650 and disqualified him for four years, with the disqualification not to come into effect until July 4.
