Defendant admits he was ‘dog stupid’ for drug driving
Report had reduced its risk assessment of Boyd from high to moderate and, while he did have a bad record, he was now committed to his family, attending courses and had job offers from the security industry.
Judge Gearty placed Boyd on a nine-month Probation Bond subject to conditions.
A father-of-five who admitted he was “dog stupid” to drive with cocaine in his system while already disqualified from driving has been handed down a six-month suspended prison sentence.
Clive Somers (43) of Caltragh Crescent, Sligo, pleaded guilty to drug driving and driving without insurance or road tax on Cleveragh Road, Sligo, on December 22, 2021 before Judge Deirdre Gearty at Sligo District Court last week.
Sgt Derek Butler told the court that at 9.07am that morning Gardaí noticed the left back brake light was broken on Somers' car as he pulled away from Londis supermarket on Cleveragh Road.
They signalled him to stop and when they spoke to him, they noticed his eyes were glazed and he appeared nervous. They tested him for drugs on the spot which came back positive for cocaine at 9.34am.
They then brought him to Sligo Garda Station for a blood test which returned a positive reading for cocaine of 500.5ng/100ml blood. Somers also had no insurance displayed and failed to produce insurance documents within 10 days.
The court heard Somers had 32 previous convictions.
Taking to the witness stand, the defendant agreed with his defence solicitor Mr Gerard McGovern that what he had done was “just stupid.” He explained that he was coming from work and had taken an extra shift with Fastway before Christmas for only five or six deliveries.
He said that he had been at the Christmas party “three or four days before that” by way of explaining the cocaine in his system.
“I'm guilty of them. There's no point beating around the bush like,” said Somers, agreeing with Mr McGovern that he had “taken a chance” in driving that morning and had apologised to the Gardaí for that. “I was working at the warehouse, thinking about Christmas and the kids,” he said to explain why he had taken driving a car without insurance and while already being disqualified from driving from a previous conviction.
“What would have happened if you had hit a car? You didn't think of that,” noted Judge Gearty.
“Do you accept you were dog stupid?” said Mr McGovern. “I was, yes,” replied Somers.
Judge Gearty then asked Somers if he had a drug problem, to which Mr McGovern said Somers had received counselling. Somers told the judge he did seasonal work.
Judge Gearty said Somers was “looking at prison straight in the eye” and enquired if he was doing any community work.
Somers said he was an underage coach for a Cranmore football team every Tuesday and Thursday night and argued that his offences were from two years ago and he hadn't committed any offences since then. On the basis of what Somers told her, Judge Gearty convicted him of driving without insurance and handed down a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and banned him from driving for six years. All other offences were taken into consideration.