Woman arrested for drunk driving is banned for three years and fined €200
GARDAI arrested a woman for drunk driving after they saw a can of cider in her car when they stopped her in Clondalkin, a court heard.
Evija Mesaka’s car had a blown out tyre when gardai approached her and found her slurring her speech.
Blanchardstown District Court
Judge David McHugh banned her from driving for three years and fined her €200 when she appeared in Blanchardstown District Court.
Mesaka, aged 46, with an address at Adamstown Avenue, Lucan pleaded guilty to drink driving on January 9, 2019.
Sergeant Maria Callaghan said gardai were on mobile patrol on Fonthill Road, Clondalkin at 12.25am when they saw the accused’s Daewoo Matiz at traffic lights.
The front driver’s side tyre had blown out and the garda approached and knocked on the window. When Mesaka opened the door, the garda got a strong smell of alcohol from her and the car. The garda also saw a can of cider in the car.
When asked where she was coming from, the accused said “Lucan” and when asked where she lived she also said “Lucan”.
The garda told the accused she was in Clondalkin and Mesaka replied, “I came from Lucan.”
Her speech was slurred and her eyes were bloodshot, the court heard. She was arrested and brought to Blanchardstown Garda Station, where a breath test was over the alcohol limit.
She failed to sign a receipt from the testing machine.
Mesaka had no prior convictions.
At the time of the incident, she had split from her husband of 20 years, which caused her to drink, her lawyer said.
The accused now realised she had a problem with alcohol and was abstaining from it and engaging with a support network, the court heard.
Mesaka, who was from Latvia and had been in Ireland for 15 years, worked as a cleaner.
Judge McHugh said in setting the fine, he was taking a lenient view, having heard her personal circumstances.
