Man (33) with a ‘cavalier attitude’ to road safety

A MAN with a “cavalier attitude” to road safety was banned from driving for life.

Miley Connors (33), with an address of Abbeyland, Clane, Kildare, appeared before Blanchardstown District Court charged with road traffic offences.

Garda Leon Murray told the court that on March 23, 2023, he stopped a silver Volkswagen on Cloverhill Road, Clondalkin.

The driver was identified as Mr Connors, who smelled of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet.

Conveyed to Ronanstown Garda Station, the defendant provided a sample which provided a reading of 180 mg per 100ml of blood.

Garda requested Mr Connors produce driver licence and insurance at a station of his choice which was Clane, but he failed to produce within 10 days.

The court heard Mr Connors has 56 previous convictions, including 28 for road traffic offences, two for drink driving offences in 2018 and 2020, and that he was disqualified from driving for 10 years in 2024 for driving without insurance.

Garda Kevin Duff told the court that on March 21, 2023, gardai received a call from a member of the public regarding a driver driving dangerously on the at the N4 and M4 eastbound, which had “mounted a footpath several times” at approximately 12.50am.

The court heard the car had mounted a footpath several times.

Gardai arrived and observed the accused on the M50 northbound, his vehicle had crashed into the hard shoulder.

Nobody else was injured.

Mr Connors was out of the car, unsteady on his feet and smelled of alcohol.

The key was in the ignition, and the air bags were deployed.

Connors was taken to Lucan Garda Station and a sample provided a recording of 262mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Defence solicitor Simon Fleming accepted his client had a bad record and that these were two bad incidents.

Mr Fleming said his client had come clean as the driver on both occasions, had apologised for his behaviour and was in a bad place at that time of his life. His client came from a Travelling background, has a wife and four kids, and is essentially the carer for his mother after his father passed away.

Mr Fleming said his client understood the gravity of the situation and requested no custodial sentence if the court sees it appropriate, requesting some light at the end of the tunnel.

Judge Mark O’Connell noted the guilty plea but also Mr Connors previous record and a “cavalier attitude” to road traffic and “his own safety and the safety of others.”

Judge O’Connell banned Connors for life and imposed a six-month custodial sentence suspended for 12 months.

DPP directions indicated a 40-year ban.

Judge O’Connell also fined Connors €500 with three months to pay.

Funded by the Local Courts Reporting Scheme