A 26-year-old Polish man who refused to provide a blood sample for gardaí when he was arrested for drink driving was disqualified from driving for four years at Ballina District Court on Tuesday.
On April 25 this year Garda Pat O’Hora observed Marek Wiacek, 4 McDermott Street, Ballina drive his Peugeot across a continuos white line — where there was a broken line on the far side — on the N59 coming into Ballina at 8.45pm. A fixed charge was not paid.
On July 24, Garda Rebecca Fearon observed the same defendant driving his car on the wrong side of the road on Pearse Street Ballina at 3.31am. The garda flashed the garda car lights at the defendant and swerved left to avoid the defendant’s car.
The defendant later refused to provide a specimen after he was arrested for drink driving as he told the garda that he “was heading back to Poland anyway”.
The man, who works in a bar, was convicted and fined €75 by Judge Mary Devins for overtaking on the white line, convicted and fined him €800 for not providing a sample and disqualified him from driving for four years.
