Drink driver crashed van outside hotel

ELECTRICIAN REFUSED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS TO GIVE GARDAI HIS DETAILS

A MAN who crashed a company van outside the Riverbank Hotel after drinking in Wexford Town was put off the road for four years by Judge Brian O’Shea.

The motorist who caused €500 worth of damage to roadside railings on the night of the accident refused to give his name and address to gardaí at the time.

However, it was later confirmed that he was electrician and father of one Thomas Deegan from 10 Glenrichards, Poulshone, Courtown.

Appearing at the District Court in Wexford, he contested a charge alleging that he failed to give a sample of blood or urine after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Evidence in the case was given by three Wexford Marine Watch volunteers, Bobby Redmond, Niamh Kennedy and Billy Dennigan as well as two gardaí.

Redmond reckoned that it was shortly after 2 a.m. on the rainy morning of December 21 when he was on duty in a patrol vehicle, keeping watch on Wexford Bridge.

He recalled seeing a grey van coming from the town and overtaking a mini-bus taxi.

Then he heard a bang and realised that the van had crashed at the entrance to the hotel.

Ms Kennedy gave a similar version of events, stating that the overtaking manoeuvre was conducted at speed and that the crashed van ended up on its side.

Volunteer supervisor Dennigan had been on watch at the RNLI station at the other end of the bridge.

He was called to the scene, where he put on his flashing lights and discovered that the driver – who turned out to be Deegan – did not appear to be injured.

The accused appeared cold but declined the offer of a blanket.

Next into the witness box was Garda Ross O’Callaghan who responded to the report of a road traffic accident.

When approached, the defendant told the officer that he had been at a Christmas get-together in the Talbot and that he had been drinking.

He gave his name as Thomas but did not disclose his surname or address as he became, in the garda’s view, uncooperative and at times aggressive.

His breath gave off a smell of intoxicant, while his eyes were glazed and his speech slurred.

An examination of the van, an Opel Combi owned by Amp Engineering, turned up two room keys from the Talbot Hotel.

The defendant was arrested and brought to the barracks in Wexford while Doctor Stephen Bowe was called to take the sample of blood or urine.

While waiting for this procedure to be carried out, he provided gardaí with a phone number for his mother.

However, they were unable to make the connection with Garda O’Callaghan suggesting that the number rang engaged.

His colleague Vanessa Fitzpatrick confirmed that that they were unable to get through as the call disconnected at each attempt.

She told how the prisoner continued refusing to give his details, though search of his person yielded a bank card in the name of Thomas Byrne.

It was only after another garda contacted Alan Flanagan, the owner of the crashed van, that it became clear that the man arrested was in fact Thomas Deegan.

He continued to withhold his address and date of birth, later falling asleep while confined in Cell Number 9.

Solicitor Lana Doherty told the court that her client had paid up €500 to cover the cost of criminal damage to the railings.

The failure to provide the sample for Doctor Bowe earned Deegan a fine of €1,000 and the four year disqualification.