Student who crashed gets one-year ban

JUDGE James McNulty told a 21-year-old accountancy student that his disqualification from driving for one year ‘will pass by in the twinkling of an eye’. 

Aidan Sweetnam, Horse Hill, Ballinadee, Ballinspittle appeared at a recent sitting of Bandon District Court where he pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and drink-driving.

The court was told that gardaí had responded to reports of a single vehicle collision after the defendant crashed into a ditch. 

Mr Sweetnam gave gardaí his details and they then arrested him on suspicion of drink-driving and brought him to Bandon Garda Station where he gave a breathalyser result of 40 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. 

Insp Ger Lacey said the defendant was a novice driver and only had his licence for a year, but that he was very co-operative when arrested.

Solicitor Myra Dinneen said her client is in his third year of his accountancy course and is the youngest of six children and had been working for the summer holidays. 

The jeep he had been driving belongs to the company he was working for and a friend had been using it and he kept the vehicle and described the whole thing as ‘very unfortunate’.

‘My client was at a fancy dress in Ballinspittle at that time and he had a minimum of alcohol to drink but he’s got a double whammy as the level for alcohol is lower for learner drivers,’ said Myra Dineen.

‘It was really unfortunate and this will have consequences for him if he is disqualified. He has no previous convictions and he will be a graduate soon and with a conviction,’ she said.

Judge James McNulty said: ‘It’s not life-threatening or destructive and not a hanging offence.’

‘He made an error of judgement and I must commend him on the way he presented himself today in court,’ said Judge McNulty.

Judge McNulty convicted and fined the defendant €100 and disqualified him from driving for one year.