A TWENTY-year- old man banned from driving last year for a period of 20 years, was before Judge Tom O’Donnell charged with drug driving in September 2009.
Entering a plea of guilty, Brian Curtin of Railway House, Old Cork Road, was before the court via video link from Limerick Prison. The court heard from Inspector Seamus Ruane that on September 14 last, gardai stopped the accused on Old Francis Street after observing him “driving in an erratic manner”.
Under the suspicion of being influenced by an intoxicant, gardai arrested the accused and conveyed him to Henry Street where he provided two specimen samples.
The court heard that the first sample produced a zero reading for alcohol but a second sample of urine, following analysis, revealed traces of benzodiazepine.
Judge O’Donnell heard from Inspector Seamus Ruane that the accused had 125 previous convictions including three that contained 30 years in driving bans.
The previous convictions included a four month prison sentence and a three year driving ban for no insurance, six months in prison and a seven year disqualification from driving, again for no insurance, and in 2009, Judge Aeneas McCarthy handed out a 20 year driving ban for a myriad of driving offences – one of the lengthiest driving bans handed out a Limerick District Court.
The court heard that the accused was serving an 18-month prison sentence and had some five months left under lawful detention.
Sarah Ryan, solicitor, said that her client was then 19-years of age and had the promise of employment with his father upon release from custody.
In no way, the court was told by Ms Ryan, did Curtin dispute the facts of the case and his guilty plea had been made at the earliest possible time. Ms Ryan added that given the amount of road traffic offences, the accused made himself “uninsurable given the ban handed down by Judge McCarthy in 2009”.
She added that this was entirely the fault of Mr Curtin but that he wished to leave prison and “make use of himself” in the future.
Judge O’Donnell noted the facts and giving credit for the early plea, convicted and sentenced the accused to four months in prison for the section 49, drug driving offence.
Curtin was also banned from driving for five years and sentenced to a concurrent five months in prison for driving without insurance.
