Andrew Carey
A JUDGE has described the excuses of a disqualified driver who was caught drink driving as “shallow and pathetic” and told him he faces jail if he is back before the court again.
Bernard McGrogan (49) formerly of Ashbrook, Ennis Road, Limerick but now of Quin, Co Clare was found by Gardaí to be under the influence of an intoxicant on the Ennis Road at 8.20pm on June 13 last.
After being stopped at a routine checkpoint, he was taken to Henry Street Garda station where a reading of 48mg of alcohol was detected in his system.
Sgt Donal Cronin told Limerick District Court that Mr McGrogan, who had 22 previous convictions, had been banned from driving at the time.
Judge O’Kelly briefly remanded the accused in custody and returned to the case later in the day.
He questioned John Herbert defence solicitor as to whether or not Mr McGrogan took the fact that he was disqualified seriously.
“It looks like your client couldn’t care less that he was disqualified from driving”.
Mr McGriogan told the court that he has since left the country for work but that his wife and young family remained in Ireland. He had debts at the time and was being put under pressure. He took a chance to drive to Limerick and meet a person he owed money to in a pub.
There were no busses in the area, he had only one and half pints and hadn’t eaten all day. He was also jetlagged from his flight home.
Judge O’Kelly said that it was not enough that the defendant was caught driving while disqualified but he was caught driving while disqualified and drunk.
Stating that he found the defendant’s excuses as shallow, he said that of all the excuses ever to be proffered, to say that he had to go and pay a debt in a pub was fairly pathetic.
Imposing a five month prison sentence, suspending for two years, Judge O’Kelly warned the father-of-three that if he was back before the court, he would face this prison sentence along with one for whatever brought him before the court.
