Leitrim driver pulled onto road and narrowly missed garda car

A Carrick-on-Shannon resident has been fined and banned for drunk driving.
Rinaldi Sageame (22) of Bothar Saileach, Lis Cara, Carrick-on-Shannon pleaded guilty at the local District Court to the charge that happened on December 18, 2020 at Townparks, Carrick-on-Shannon.
The court heard the defendant pulled out on a road narrowly missing a garda car.
When stopped he had a strong smell of alcohol from his breath.
A subsequent breath test showed a breath alcohol reading of 45 mcgs of alcohol per 100 mls of breath.

Defence solicitor Colm Conway said the defendant was just marginally over the limit for a two year driving ban
The defendant was unlucky and had “made a mistake.” He was a young man, who was working and trying to make his way in life. The defendant “only had a small amount of drink” and he “chanced it.”
He will not do it again and was fully co-operative with gardai and had been away but had come back into the jurisdiction to face up to the matter in a manly fashion, the court heard.

Mr Conway asked Judge Sandra Murphy to use her discretion in the matter as the defendant was just over the limit for two years.
The defendant had no previous convictions.
Judge Murphy said the defendant had narrowly missed a garda car which was a very dangerous thing.
She said she felt sorry for the defendant but had no discretion and the ban had to be for two years.
She fined the defendant €250 and banned him from driving for two years.