Four times over drink driving limit

A man who was four times over the legal drink driving limit has been disqualified from driving for four years and ordered to pay a €350 fine within 11 months.

Igor Chukhno (46), with an address in Alverno Drive, Willow Park, Athlone, was unrepresented when he appeared before Judge Bernadette Owens.

Through a Ukrainian interpreter present in Athlone District Court, Mr Chukhno entered a guilty plea to the single charge of drink driving.

The particulars of that offence were that a member of the public flagged down a Garda patrol car at 11.45pm on Sunday, September 14, and directed them towards a vehicle that was “driving erratically”.

Gardaí observed the vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road on a bend, and stopped the driver. There was a strong smell of alcohol from the accused and a breath test revealed a reading of 91 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

Through the interpreter, he explained that he had separated from his wife and was close to where she and his kids lived when he was stopped. He said he’d been drinking the previous night and still had alcohol in his system the next day.

Judge Owens proceeded to convict and fine Mr Chukhno €350 with 11 months to pay, disqualifying him from driving for three years.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme