A Galway man who pleaded guilty to drink driving was disqualified from driving for one year in Castlebar District Court this week. Garda Peter Sarsfield told the court that he was on duty on May 5 2012 at 7am, when a report of a car going off the road at Streamstown, Claremorris, was phoned into the station. He told the court he went to investigate and stopped a car being driven by Patrick Lawrence, 69 Riverdale, Oranmore, Co Galway, at 7.20am. He administered a road side breath test which Lawrence failed and then arrested him and brought him to Claremorris Garda Station, where Lawrence gave a blood sample which returned a reading of 87mlgs per 100ml of blood.
Solicitor for Lawrence, Ms Cathy McDarby, told the court her client was a 27-year-old married man who was the father of four children. He had been visiting his sister in the area and had been drinking the evening before and an argument arose in the early hours of the morning. She said her client made the mistake of thinking it was for the best he left to go home. Judge Mary Devins convicted and fined Lawrence €350 and disqualified him from driving for one year.
