Drunk driver was found to have no insurance or licence
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges.
A young man drove while intoxicated and uninsured, a court has heard.
Ivan Marzanych, Belgarrow, Foxford pleaded guilty at Ballina District Court to drink driving and driving without a licence or insurance.
The court heard that Gda Micheál Gorman stopped a silver Mercedes being driven by the defendant at Lower Main Street, Foxford on November 15th last. The vehicle stopped abruptly and three men exited it. Gda Gorman spoke to the driver, Marzanych, and got a strong smell of alcohol from his breath and his speech was slurred. He arrested him on suspicion of drink driving and a breath test gave a reading of 44mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mg.
It was discovered that Marzanych, who is aged 20, had no licence or insurance at the time of his arrest. He has no previous convictions.
Solicitor Denis Molloy said his client is a Ukrainian man who has not been living in Ireland for long. He is hoping to gain employment.
Mr Molloy said that Gda Gorman had not observed Marzanych driving dangerously nor had there been an accident. He asked Judge Sandra Murphy to use her discretion and not impose a disqualification on the no insurance charge, which could lead to a two-year disqualification, and instead impose the mandatory one-year disqualification on the drink driving charge.
Judge Murphy said that while Marzanych had held his hands up and cooperated with the Gardaí, he had nonetheless committed a very serious offence of drink driving while also not having any insurance.
She imposed a two-year disqualification and fines totalling €650.
