Tallaght driver under the influence of cannabis jailed for 3 months

By Brendan Grehan

A DRIVER who was caught driving the wrong way down a main road while under the influence of cannabis has been jailed for three months.

Barnel Muntean was stopped on the Naas Road at Newlands Cross at 12.20am one morning.

Muntean, aged 21, with an address at Alderwood Park, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and drug driving at Naas Road, Newlands Cross, on April 2, 2015.

Garda Declan Bambrick told Judge David McHugh in Blanchardstown District Court that he had been on duty at 12.20am on April 2, 2015. He said he saw Muntean driving the wrong way down the Naas Road.

Muntean was stopped, arrested and taken to Blanchardstown Garda Station.

A breath sample he provided was negative for alcohol but positive for cannabis.

The court heard that Muntean had previous convictions for motoring offences and had since been banned from driving for having no insurance and another count of dangerous driving.

Muntean’s counsel. Ciaran MacLoughlin Bl, said his client was originally from Romania and had lived in Ireland since 2000.

He said Muntean had become addicted to drugs and his father later took him back to Romania for a detox programme. He had been clean for almost two years and was on Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Mr MacLoughlin said Muntean was in a “very different place now.” He said Muntean had taken steps to right the problems in his life.The previous conviction for dangerous driving was also as a result of addiction issues at the time, he added.

Judge McHugh noted that while Muntean had turned over a new leaf, he had taken bench warrants.

He said Muntean still had to pay for the danger he put people in on the day.

He had been minded to jail the accused for six months but said he was lowering the sentence by 50 per cent and sentenced him to three months.