Drug driver detected after he was stopped for having no tax disc
The defendant pleaded guilty at Castlebar District Court.
A Newport man was found to have cannabis in his system after his vehicle was stopped by Gardaí for having no tax.
Paul Sammon, Carramore, Newport, pleaded guilty at Castlebar District Court to drug driving and driving without insurance.
Gda Ray Guilfoyle told the court he stopped the defendant’s vehicle at Kilbride, Newport on August 3, 2023, as he noticed it was not displaying a tax disc. He spoke to the driver Paul Sammon and conducted a roadside drug test, which came up positive for cannabis. The defendant later gave a blood sample that confirmed the presence of cannabis over the specified legal limit.
Sammon was ordered to produce evidence of insurance but he failed to do so. He has several previous convictions.
Solicitor Dermot Morahan said his client accepted that he had cannabis in his system and was fully cooperative with Gardaí on the day of the incident. Mr Morahan said the vehicle had been scrapped since this incident. His client previously worked in construction.
Judge Fiona Lydon said she was concerned about Sammon’s previous conviction for the unauthorised taking of a vehicle and requested a probation report. She also ordered him to undergo the Prime for Life addiction course and Pro-Social driving course and adjourned the case until April 17.
