Drug driving and other road traffic offences nets young Boyle man a six year ban

A young man found guilty of driving under the influence of cocaine, dangerous driving, having no insurance and a number of other road traffic offences across a six month period was disqualified from driving for six years and ordered to complete 120 hours of community service when he appeared before Carrick-on-Shannon District Court.
Colin McDonnell, Tullyvohaun, The Plains, Boyle, pleaded guilty to summonses for no insurance, failing to produce insurance and drug driving at Cloonmann, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Roscommon on December 31, 2020.

Further offences before the court included no insurance and failing to produce insurance at Quay Road, Carrick-on-Shannon on February 15, 2021.
He faced two summonses for dangerous driving at Ardcarne, Boyle on May 12, 2021 and a third for a dangerous driving offence at Ardconra, Boyle on the same date.
He faced further summonses relating to having two bald tyres on his vehicle and crossing a continuous white line on the N4 at Farranagalliagh West, Roscommon on May 8, 2021.
Finally, Mr McDonnell faced summonses for no insurance, failing to produce a driving licence, failing to produce insurance, driving without a driving licence, refusing to give a preliminary sample of oral fluid, and drug driving at Quay Road, Carrick-on-Shannon on June 5, 2021.
Referring to the offences on December 31, 2020, Sgt Lisa Sewell explained that gardai were travelling on the N4 when the AMPR picked up a vehicle with no tax. They followed the vehicle and as they did so they observed it overtaking other cars across a continuous white line.
They stopped the car and spoke to Mr McDonnell who offered “no explanation” for driving in this manner. A roadside test undertaken by the defendant showed the presence of drugs in his system and a further test in the garda station confirmed the presence of cocaine.
Mr McDonnell was asked to produce a copy of his insurance at Boyle Garda station following this incident, but he failed to do so.
Sgt Sewell explained that on May 8, 2021, gardai were driving on the N4 at Farranagalliagh West when their vehicle was overtaken by a car on a bend, crossing a continuous white line.
Stopping the vehicle gardai spoke with Mr McDonnell and noted that the NCT was out of date. Further inspection of the vehicle found it had two bald tyres.
On the spot fines were issued for the bald tyres and for crossing the continuous white line. None of these were paid by the defendant.
Continuing evidence, Sgt Sewell said that gardai received a report from a witness, on May 12, 2021, that a vehicle driven by Mr McDonnell was tailgating at speed and that the defendant had “stuck his head out of the sunroof” as he drove on two occasions.
Mr McDonnell then engaged in a dangerous overtaking of other vehicles in the locality of Ardcarne, Boyle.
Finally on June 5, 2021, Gda Farrell was driving at Quay Road, Carrick-on-Shannon when he met a vehicle driving the wrong way down the road.
He stopped the vehicle driven by the defendant and a subsequent test revealed the presence of cocaine in Mr McDonnell’s system.
The court heard Mr McDonnell had previous convictions for crossing a continuous white line and having no insurance.
Defending solicitor, John Anderson, noted that a probation report compiled on his client had been “very, very helpful,” with the first part of the probation report providing “reasons as to why and how he ended up in these particular circumstances.” He also noted his client has completed a pro-social driving course.
He said that Mr McDonnell came from “a very decent family” and was in a long term relationship.
“He is asking for a chance,” he said, noting that his client was working as an apprentice mechanic in a quarry.
“He has been deemed suitable for community service. I hope that this will be a brief period of his life that he will regret,” said Mr Anderson.
“That this window will only be a window and he will not be involved in this particular type of offence in future.”
In relation to the offences on December 31, 2020, Judge Vincent Deane convicted Mr McDonnell of drug driving, disqualified him from driving for six years and ordered him to complete 120 hours of community service in lieu of a four month custodial sentence. He was further convicted and disqualified from driving for five years for having no insurance on that date.
The offences dated February 15, 2021 saw Mr McDonnell disqualified for four years for no insurance. The remaining summons for failing to produce insurance was taken into consideration.
Offences relating to May 8, 2021 were all taken into consideration as were all offences relating to May 12, 2021.
Finally, for the offences on June 5, 2021, Mr McDonnell was convicted and fined €200 and disqualified from driving for four years for drug driving and also received a four year disqualification for refusing to give a preliminary oral fluid sample.
He also received a four year disqualification for no insurance on this date and the remaining offences were taken into consideration.