Man put off road for eight years

SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR MAN ON FIFTH DRUNK DRIVING CONVICTION

A LISTOWEL man who pleaded guilty to what was his fifth conviction for drunken driving received a sentence of three months’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months at Listowel District Court on Thursday.

Donal O’Grady, 5 Cahirdown Wood, Cahirdown, Listowel was stopped at Trieneragh, Duagh, on December 4 of last year.

A breath specimen he provided returned a reading of 47mcgs of alcohol per 100mls of breath.

The court heard it was the 47-year-old’s fifth conviction for drunken driving; the most recent at Listowel District Court on March 15 of this year where he was put off the road for six years for an offence on October 25 of 2017.

Solicitor Pat Enright said his client’s record was ‘appalling’ but said there was a very difficult background, in terms of family relationships and his health.

Mr Enright told Judge David Waters his client had battled with alcohol all his life. “To his credit, every time he has been dealt with by the Court, he has been utterly compliant with its orders and has never driven while disqualified,” Mr Enright said, adding: “At the time of the last offence, this man was undergoing enormous stresses in his life...his marriage had gone kaput and it is fair to say he was not in proper control of his life.

“Seven months ago this man got a heart attack, undergoing a serious procedure on two valves of his heart during a bypass in August this year.

“Between the medical situation and the pending court case he had to face he gave up the drink seven months ago completely. Full stop. He is now dealing with some of these stresses...moving house purely to be with his 19-month-old child.” Mr Enright described him as a ‘very pleasant and personable man’.

Judge Waters said he would have jailed him had he been disqualified at the time of the offence; disqualifying him for eight years and imposing the suspended sentence.

He was also put off the road for two years and fined €200 on a charge of no insurance.