Man hit with four year ban 'did not realise he was so high on cocaine' when stopped, Longford court hears
A young man charged with two motoring offences was banned from the road for four years and clocked up fines of €650 at Longford District Court.
Darren Duffy (25) of 50 Meadowbrook, Tulsk, Castlerea, Roscommon was charged with drug driving and driving without insurance.
Solicitor Frank Gearty indicated his client was entering a plea of guilty to the charges before the court.
Sergeant Conor McShane outlined the details of the matter that brought the defendant to the attention of the court. Sg McShane said on June 29, 2022 officers were on mobile patrol in Longford town.
The patrolling Gardaí saw a black BMW drive down Killashee Street with no disks on the windscreen.
They signalled the driver to pull in and made the lawful demand for a driving licence. The driver, Mr Duffy, said he only had a learner permit and did not have it with him.
The Gardaí asked about the certificate of insurance, but the driver admitted he had no insurance at the time. The officers formed the opinion the driver had consumed an intoxicant.
An oral fluid sample tested positive for cannabis, so Mr Duffy was brought to Longford Garda Station where a blood test returned a reading of 321.3ng/ml of cocaine in the driver's blood system.
Judge Bernadette Owens was told the defendant has 17 previous convictions in total; including convictions for possession of drugs, road traffic, public order, assault, possession of an article, and driving without insurance or NCT.
Solicitor Frank Gearty said his client's convictions date back to when he was “a much younger man”. The solicitor said Mr Duffy has “moved on a lot” from offences dating from 2017.
“He knows he is in a lot of bother now,” Mr Gearty told the court, “he had just purchased the vehicle and was celebrating. He did not realise he was so high on cocaine.”
The legal representative outlined how his client was a barber and has made a number of changes in his life to distance himself from his earlier offending.
Mr Gearty explained that Mr Duffy had moved to Tulsk in Roscommon “to get away from bother”.
Taking the facts of the case into consideration Judge Owens registered a conviction and imposed a fine of €400 and disqualification of four years for the no insurance offence and a fine of €250 and a disqualification of one year for the no insurance conviction.