Uninsured driver was drunk in charge of car
The defendant pleaded guilty at Castlebar District Court.
A father-of-four has been disqualified from driving for four years after he was found drunk in charge of a vehicle that was neither taxed nor insured.
Vitalii Kuzhba, aged 44, of Ferrew, Garranard, Ballina, who came to Ireland from Ukraine in 2023, pleaded guilty at Castlebar District Court to a number of breaches of the Road Traffic Act.
The court heard that Gardaí observed a Ford Mondeo with its hazard lights flashing at Barley Hill, Bohola, at 12.30am on October 28, 2024. Kuzhba, who produced a Ukrainian driving licence, was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in charge of a vehicle. He later provided a breath sample that showed a concentration of 70mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mg. He was also found to have no tax or insurance on the vehicle. He has two previous convictions for speeding and no insurance on July 25, 2024.
Solicitor Patricia Lally said her client had moved to Ireland with his wife and four children, aged between three and eight. He had worked at Dunleavy Meats in Ballina before later taking up employment in Knock. His car was seized following the incident, and because of accommodation limits set by their landlord in Kiltimagh, he has been living separately in the Ballina area.
Ms Lally said Kuzhba has not driven since the October incident and no longer has access to a vehicle. His wife, who bought her own car in March 2025, now drives the children to school and brings him to and from work. He earns approximately €500 per week.
The solicitor said Kuzhba took out an insurance policy in August 2024, but it lapsed the following month when the instalment was not paid. Ms Lally said her client had been drinking with a group that evening and no one was sober enough to drive him home.
Judge Sandra Murphy imposed a four-year driving ban and fines totalling €800.
- Published as part of the Courts Reporting Scheme.
