Drug-driving charge sees Bantry man disqualified

A DISTRICT Court Judge said a Bantry man had ‘quite a concentration of cannabis’ in his blood after he was arrested on suspicion of drug-driving.

Judge James McNulty made the comment when dealing with the case of Cormac O’Sullivan of 10 St Cannera’s Place, Bantry who pleaded guilty to drug-driving at a recent sitting of Clonakilty District Court.

Sgt Paul Kelly told the court that on December 18th last at 2.48pm while performing a MIT (Mandatory Intoxicant Testing) checkpoint in Clonakilty, Gda Eoghan O’Reilly stopped the defendant.

‘An oral fluid roadside test was carried out on him and he tested positive for cannabis and did not have a medical cert of exemption,’ said Sgt Kelly.

The defendant was arrested and taken to Bandon Garda Station and a blood sample taken from him gave a reading of 60.3ngs of cannabis in his system where the limit is 5ngs.

The court was told that the defendant has eight previous convictions, all related to theft and none for road traffic offences.

His solicitor Conrad Murphy said his client lives with his father who has dementia and he presently has no income but is applying for a carer’s allowance.

‘He knows he will get disqualified but I am asking for it to be postponed so he can get his affairs in order,’ said Mr Murphy.

Judge James McNulty said it was quite a concentration of cannabis in the defendant’s blood and asked him if it would happen again. 

Mr O’Sullivan said it would not.

Judge McNulty convicted and fined him €100 and disqualified him from driving for one year, effective from January 6th 2020.