Drink driver cut corner of footpath with children on it, Kildare court hears
Athy courthouse Photo: Aisling Hyland
A MAN driving under the influence of an intoxicant cut a corner of a footpath with children on it, a court was told.
Ryszard Pacholski (63), of Plewman’s Terrace, Woodstock, Athy appeared in Athy District Court last week for sentencing on the dangerous driving and drink driving charges at Glebelands on 18 September to which he had already pleaded guilty.
Sergeant Dave Hanrahan told the court how the investigating officer Garda Phelan “observed the car cutting corners with children on that footpath”.
When he stopped the defendant he could smell alcohol, but he refused a roadside test,” said the sergeant.
“He later consented to a blood test and when completed it showed 197 (mg alcohol per 100ml of blood),” he said.
The limit currently is 50 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
“He has no previous convictions,” said the sergeant.
“He’s accepting that he had been drinking, but he’s putting his hands up,” said Mr Boyle.
“He’s saying the driver’s seat was wiggly,” offered Mr Boyle.
“He’s saying wiggly? Do you remember the rhyme?” smiled the judge as he quoted ‘Wiggly Woo’.
“There is a little worm at the bottom of the garden and his name is Wiggly Woo!” He fined Pacholski €400 and banned him from driving for three years on the drink driving.
“Kids on the footpath? That’s very dangerous,” he said as he banned the defendant for another two years for this dangerous driving, but ordered the bans run concurrent.
