Kildare driver was six times the limit on Paddy’s Day
Photo for illustrative purposes only
A MAN caught on St Patrick’s Day with almost six times the legal limit for drink because he asked a garda for directions was banned from the roads for three years last week. Wicktor Novak (41), with an address at Oldtown Green, Naas, was appearing in Athy District Court for sentence after pleading guilty at a previous hearing.
The court heard how it was on 17 March 2023 that Mr Novak had been driving through Clane on the R417 (Kilcock-Naas road) when he was blocked by the parade, and asked the garda on duty for directions as to how he might get out.
“If it wasn’t for the resourcefulness of Garda Barry, he might never have been detected,” said defending solicitor Tim Kennelly, “because it was Garda Barry who noticed the smell of alcohol on his breath.”
Garda Barry gave evidence that, following Mr Novak’s detention, he returned a reading of 123mg (microgrammes) of alcohol per 100ml of breath, where the limit nowadays is 22mg of alcohol under sections 4 and 4(a) of the .
Mr Novak was also convicted of drug-driving on cannabis at Boycetown, Kilcock on 16 December 2023.
After hearing he had no previous convictions, Judge Desmond Zaidan banned Mr Novak for three years, and fined him €400 for the Clane offence, and a further €200, with a concurrent one-year ban for the Kilcock offence.
