A man ordered to do a safe driving course after driving his horse and cart to get cigarettes while drunk has had his case adjourned – after forgetting to bring his safe driving certificate to court.
Danny Connors, 48, had appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal which heard he was three and a half times over the drink-driving limit.
The court heard that Connors was stopped by Gardai at 8.55am on the morning of June 20, 2021.
Gardai said they observed Connors come up the Port Road in Letterkenny on what was described as ‘a horse drawn carriage’.
Sergeant Gerard Dalton told the court that Garda Eoin Nicholson had spoken to Connors twenty minutes previously at his address and noted that he was ‘highly intoxicated’.
Gardai followed Connors, who was observed swaying on the road, Sergeant Dalton said.
Connors refused to stop and continued onto Pearse Road. Connors was also shouting abuse at the time.
When ordered to stop an irate Connors told Gardai “Fuck off, I’m not stopping.”
When eventually stopped, Connors was arrested for an offence contrary to Section 6 of the Road Traffic Act, 2010.
A subsequent test showed that Connors, a 48-year-old with an address at Canal Road, Neil T Blaney Road, Letterkenny had a reading of 177 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
The court heard that Connors has ‘a number’ of previous convictions, including for a similar charge in 2018.
Connors also has previous for resisting arrest, obstructing a peace officer and a number of road traffic matters.
Solicitor for Connors, Mr Michael Shiel, said his client took the horse and cart, ‘against his better judgement’, to get cigarettes.
“In the cold light of day, he holds his hands up and he apologises for his behaviour,” Mr Shiel said.
“He apologises profusely and assures me that it won’t happen again.”
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham had previously asked that probation and welfare report, to include a recommendation on Connors’ suitability for community service, be prepared.
Judge Cunningham recommended that Connors sit the Pro Social Driving Course and ordered him to make a €250 contribution to the course.
When he appeared back in court this week, his solicitor said Connors had successfully completed the driving course and had sent the certificate into court.
Judge Cunningham said she had certainly not seen the certificate.
After consulting with his client, Mr Shiel said Connors said he certainly did the course but had left the certificate at home.
Judge Cunningham adjourned the case to October 23rd for the production of the safe driving certificate and to allow her time to read the Probation report.