Drink driver broke flowerpots in Roscrea

A man was disqualified from driving for a period of four years in Nenagh District Court recently.

Dmytro Maliuchenko (33) of Golden Grove, Roscrea, pleaded guilty to matters to do with driving while intoxicated and driving without insurance. On January 30 last, gardaí responded to a call about a vehicle that had hit a person’s flowerpots.

Mr Maliuchenko, who was attempting to move the vehicle at the time, was arrested for driving without insurance and for driving while intoxicated. Compensation for the damaged flowerpots, amounting to €160, was provided to the court, and a charge of criminal damage was taken into consideration.

On February 14 last, Mr Maliuchenko was stopped by gardaí in Roscrea, when he informed the guards that he was driving without insurance. Judge Marie Keane noted Mr Maliuchenko’s guilty plea and stressed that road users cannot drive a vehicle on a public roadway while intoxicated or without car insurance.

Solicitor Ian McNamara said the defendant was a Ukrainian national who had been living in Ireland for three years. He was working as a cleaner. He got married only the day before the court to his partner, online because his partner was still in Ukraine.

For driving while intoxicated, Mr Maliuchenko was convicted and fined €200 with six months to pay and was disqualified from driving for a period of two years.

For driving without insurance in January, he was fined €100 with six months to pay and disqualified from driving for two years.

Mr Maliuchenko was also fined €150 with six months to pay for driving without insurance in February, which carried a further disqualification from driving for two years. Failure to produce his certificate of insurance to the guards was taken into account.

“If he comes before the court again, he will go to jail,” warned Judge Keane.