Limerick motorist had consumed cannabis two days before traffic stop
AN UNINSURED motorist who consumed cannabis two days before he was stopped at a garda checkpoint in west Limerick has been disqualified from driving for five years.
Cian Broderick, aged 25, who has an address at Meadow Court, Tonbwee, Castleisland, County Kerry pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including drug-driving, when he appeared before Newcastle West Court.
Mr Broderick, who has 26 previous convictions, was prosecuted in relation to a detection which occurred at Coolanoran, Rathkeale on March 23, 2021.
Judge Carol Anne Coolican was told a roadside test was carried out after the defendant was stopped by gardai and that this tested positive for cannabis.
He was then arrested and taken to a garda station where he provided a sample of blood which, following analysis, confirmed the concentration of cannabis in his system was over the legal limit.
The defendant did not have insurance or a driving licence when he was stopped and the court heard has been disqualified from driving since, after he was convicted in relation to separate road traffic offences.
Solicitor Michelle Buckley said her client accepts that he consumed cannabis two days earlier but, in mitigation, she said he “didn’t think it was still in his system” and that he would not have driven if he believed it was.
She said Mr Broderick works as a general operative in the construction industry and she asked the court to note that each of his four convictions for driving without insurance post-date the events of last March.
Prosecuting inspector Padraigh Sutton said the defendant has no previous convictions for drink-driving or drug-driving but that he did receive a four-year driving ban, last June, for other road traffic offences such as driving without insurance.
Ms Buckley urged the court to be as lenient as possible given the impact that the conviction and driving ban will have on her client and his ability to work.
Given the circumstances and noting the defendant’s cooperation and guilty plea, Judge Coolican imposed fines totalling €800.
A five year disqualification was imposed in relation to the no insurance charge while a separate one-year ban was imposed in relation to the drug-driving offence.
All of the driving bans will be served concurrently to the disqualification which was imposed last summer.
A number of minor road traffic charges, relating to the same incident, were taken into consideration by the judge.