Eightyeardriving ban

An eight year disqualification has been handed down to a 39-year-old driver who admitted refusing to give a sample after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving while having no insurance.

Aleksejs Visnakovs, 187 Oaklawns, also had no licence when he was stopped at Greenacres on August 17. He refused to give a sample when he was brought to the station.

Solicitor Barry Callan said his client, who is from Latvia, has been in Ireland for ten years and had struggled to find regular employment. He’s not currently working and is on social welfare.

Mr Callan said: ‘He sometimes self medicates with alcohol to deal with his problems’, but added that Visnakovs is also supporting his 15-year-old daughter.

The defendant has one previous conviction, for drink driving and had previously been disqualified for three years. Judge Coughlan imposed a six year ban and €25 fine for drink driving and an eight year ban, and a similar fine, for no insurance.

‘I just don’t want him driving’, the judge said. Castlebellingham, who pleaded guilty to having no licence or insurance at Whiterath, Dromiskin on September 3.

McDonnell has seven previous convictions, and was disqualified for eight years earlier this month, but was not disqualified at the time.

Solicitor Frank McDonnell said this would be his client’s third conviction for having no insurance and the defendant is employed on a farm relief scheme. He had been driving without insurance because ‘like a lot of people, he did it back to front - he got the car but didn’t get the insurance’.

Judge Coughlan fined McDonnell €20 and disqualified him for ten years. The judge said: ‘I want to say this to you. If you come before me again - and I’m the permanent judge now in County Louth - I will give you a long stretch. Do you understand that? You’re lucky you have such a good solicitor’.