Judge sentences driver who 'did nothing he was asked'

A drunk driver who was found with cannabis after he was arrested by gardaí has received a suspended jail term.

Joe Evans, aged 66, of Culmore, Foxford pleaded guilty at Ballina District Court to drunk driving at Leckee, Foxford, on December 23, 2022.

At a previous hearing, Sgt Conor McShane said gardaí received a report at 2.30am of a car parked in a dangerous location after it had crashed against a barrier on the main road between Foxford and Straide.

Gda Patrick Donohoe later found the defendant slumped over the steering wheel with the key in the ignition and he arrested Evans on suspicion of drink driving.

A blood test revealed a reading of 201 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 50 milligrams.

Cannabis valued at €37 was found during a search at Ballina Garda Station.

Evans, a retired construction worker, has three previous convictions, including one for failing to provide a sample of breath, blood or urine.

Solicitor Peter Loftus said Evans decided to use cannabis for pain relief to deal with a knee problem.

On Tuesday, Judge Fiona Lydon heard the defendant had not completed the Prime for Life drug intervention course as directed due to a “lack of IT skills”.

Mr Loftus said Evans did engage with the Probation Services and was deemed to be at a low risk of reoffending, and that his client is no longer smoking cannabis but he did not undergo hair follicle testing.

Imposing a four-month prison sentence, which was suspended for a two-year period, Judge Lydon stated Evans “had not done anything I asked him to do”.

The defendant was also disqualified for three years and fined €1,000 with eight months to pay.