A 52-YEAR-old man charged with a string of alleged driving offences has been remanded on bail.

Andrejs Brics, of Kippagh, Dunmanway, appeared at Clonakilty District Court charged with a number of driving offences while disqualified, including drink driving.

Defence solicitor Colette McCarthy said her client was stopped while driving on two occasions and gardaí observed Mr Brics without stopping him on other occasions.

Gardaí told the court they observed the accused driving a blue Peugeot 308 while disqualified on February 13th at 6.40pm on Sackville Street, Dunmanway.

On April 23rd, he was seen again at 6.45am driving in East Dunmanway, also driving without a seatbelt.

When stopped that morning, he provided a breath sample and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Blood test results later showed 120 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, more than twice the legal limit.

The court also heard that he failed to appear for a scheduled hearing at Clonakilty District Court on May 20th.

Just days later, on May 23rd, gardaí observed him driving a silver Kia in East Dunmanway.

He was also spotted driving while disqualified on July 24th at 7.50pm in the same area.

The most recent offence occurred on October 15th at Inchydoney, where he was found to have been driving without tax and not wearing a seatbelt.

The court heard that the defendant had 54 previous convictions, including road traffic offences such as speeding and drink driving, using a false instrument, damage to property, public order offences and theft.

His most recent conviction was a five-months prison sentence for drink driving that also saw him disqualified from driving for 12 years, sentenced at Clonakilty District Court on October 1^st 2019.

‘The situation is hard to explain. Mr Brics is 52 and from Latvia, his partner is in court. They have two children, aged eight and 15, and live quite remotely. They were struggling as a family and found that they were unable to make ends meet. For a time he was the only breadwinner,’ said Ms McCarthy.

Ms McCarthy said her client had been in Ireland for 22 years and was currently employed by McSweeney Bros who had arranged for Mr Brics to be picked up and dropped off at home before and after work.

‘He is aware of the likely consequences and is putting his hands up,’ she added.

Judge Joanne Carroll said that he got behind the wheel of a car when he was disqualified and not fit to drive.

She sentenced Mr Brics to four months in prison, disqualifying him for four years and imposing four-months prison sentences in relation to the driving while disqualified offences on July 24^th and October 15^th. A further four-months prison sentence with a four-year disqualification was imposed for driving without insurance on October 15^th.

In relation to the driving while disqualified offence on May 23^rd, he received a six-months prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was disqualified from driving for four years.

All sentences are to run consecutively.

The defendant was handed a further six-months prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a disqualification from driving for two years related to having no car insurance on May 23^rd. Judge Carroll struck out the charge of failing to appear in court on February 13^th.

Mr Brics was remanded on continuing bail with the case adjourned until September next year, with recognisance fixed in case of appeal at €200 his own bond.

For the drink driving offence on April 23rd, he was disqualified from driving for four years and given a €500 fine with six months to pay.

The charge of driving without insurance and driving while disqualified were taken into consideration.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.