Man (30) disqualified from driving for a year and fined for failing drugs test

A DRIVER who failed a drug road test was fined and disqualified from the road for a year.

Raymond Valentine (30), Whitechurch Close, Ballyboden, Dublin 16, appeared before Blanchardstown District Court.

Garda Gillian Tucker told the court that on May 6, 2019, gardai observed a BMW on Cheeverstown Road, Tallaght, driving in a bus lane towards Jobstown.

Gardai activated the blue lights and spoke to the driver, identified as Mr Valentine.

A roadside test conducted on a Drager Drugtest 5000, returned a positive result for cocaine. A later reading from the Drager returned a positive result for cannabis.

Defence solicitor Ciaran McLoughlin said there was a “glaring problem” with the roadside test showing a positive for cocaine and then coming back with a positive for cannabis.

“If the Drager wasn’t correct my client was unlawfully detained,” said Mr McLoughlin.

Judge David McHugh was satisfied with the provenance of the sample but noted it is an interesting point raised by counsel.

Judge McHugh fined Mr Valentine €250 and disqualified him from the road for one year.

Funded by the Local Courts Reporting Scheme