A Ballindine man was convicted of drink driving and given a three-year driving ban at Claremorris District Court this week.
John McDonnell, Clonrane, Ballindine was arrested by Garda Liam Hynes in Claremorris on January 16 2011 at 3.44am after he spotted him driving at speed through the town. In his evidence, Garda Hynes told the court that he was in the patrol car with another driver when at 3.26am he saw a car come out of the Ballyhaunis Road car park at speed and they followed the car through a number of roads in around the town at speeds up to 100km per hour. The car pulled over on Cill Chomain Road, near the traffic lights, and he got out and spoke to the driver. He administered a roadside breath test which gave a reading of ‘fail’ and then arrested him on suspicion of drink driving and brought him to Claremorris Garda Station. At the station McDermott gave a blood sample which, when tested, returned a reading of 191mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
Judge Mary Devins found that the prosecution had proven its case and convicted and fined the 28-year-old petrol station manager €400 and disqualified him from driving for three years.
