A man who galloped to his local shop on a horse and cart to get cigarettes while drunk has been fined €250.
Danny Connors (49) of Canal Road, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, had been ordered last April to complete a safer driving course after he appeared before the local District Court having being stopped while drunk in charge of a horse and cart at 8.55am on June 20th, 2021.
The court heard he was 3½ times over the drink-driving limit.
Gardaí observed him swaying on the road, Sgt Gerard Dalton said. When ordered to stop he told gardaí, “F**k off, I’m not stopping.” When eventually stopped, he was arrested for an offence contrary to section 6 of the Road Traffic Act, 2010.
His solicitor, Michael Shiel, said his client took the horse and cart, “against his better judgment”, to get cigarettes.
“In the cold light of day, he holds his hands up and he apologises for his behaviour,” Mr Shiel said.
The case was adjourned to Monday when Connors appeared by video-link from prison, where he is serving a one-year sentence after he left a newborn foal alone at a property with loose dogs to go drinking. The foal was attacked by two lurcher dogs and suffered severe injuries resulting in all animals being put down.
Mr Shiel said his client had successfully completed the safer driving course, as recommended at the previous hearing by Judge Éiteáin Cunningham.
The judge fined the defendant €250 in lieu of five days in prison.