Two-year ban for Donegal drink-driver who tried to evade gardai

A Donegal man who tried to evade Gardai before eventually being stopped had a can of lager in the driver's drink holder and has been banned from driving.

Gardai told Letterkenny District Court that they first came across a car on September 13, 2022, on the Derry Road, St Johnston and made efforts to follow the vehicle.

The driver made efforts to evade them, but eventually caught up with the vehicle at a farmyard at Altaskin, St Johnston.

When they spoke to the driver, Sean Douglas, officers noticed a can of lager in the driver's drink holder.

Gardai demanded a sample of his breath which showed a positive reading.

When arrested, Douglas, aged 34, was taken to Letterkenny Garda Station to be processed.

An intoxilyser test showed a reading of 66 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

Douglas, of Legnathraw, St Johnston, was charged that he did drive a mechanically propelled vehicle while there was present in his body a quantity of alcohol such that, within 3 hours after so driving, the concentration of alcohol in his breath did exceed a concentration of 22 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

The charge is Contrary to Section 4 (4)(a) and (5) of the Road Traffic Act 2010.

His solicitor, Mr Frank Dorrian, said his client now resides in Australia but he had permission to plead to the charge on his behalf.

He said his client was a 34-year-old man who had no previous convictions and wanted to put the case behind him.

Judge Eiteain Cunningham fined Douglas €200 and allowed him six months to pay the fine. Douglas was banned from driving for two years.