Driver had cannabis in system and no insurance - The Munster Express

Driver had cannabis in system and no insurance The Munster Express

Gardaí discovered a man was driving under the influence (DUI) after stopping him for not having valid insurance, the District Court heard.

John Cassidy (36) of 99 Priory Lawn, Ballybeg, Waterford, appeared before Judge Mark O’Connell at Waterford District Court at the end of May. He pleaded guilty to charges of driving under the influence of an intoxicant, contrary to Section 4 (1) of the Road Traffic Act, 2010, possession of a controlled drug (namely cannabis) for personal use, contrary to Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, and driving without valid insurance, contrary to Section 56 of the Road Traffic Act 1961.

Sergeant Michael Hickey told the court that on 17 February 2025, Gardaí stopped the accused while he was driving on the Cork Road, Waterford, after his vehicle was flagged as having no insurance on the ANPR system.

After Gardaí stopped and spoke to the accused, they smelled cannabis in his vehicle, Sgt Hickey said. He admitted to driving without valid insurance and was later arrested after failing a roadside oral fluid test. Sgt Hickey added that a further test found that the accused had 2.3mg of cannabis in his system at the time.

Gardaí also discovered he was in possession of €80 worth of cannabis after searching his vehicle.

It was noted in court that the accused has five previous convictions, including two matters relating to driving without insurance in 2010 and 2021.

Acting for the defendant, solicitor Hilary Delahunty acknowledged that under road traffic legislation, Judge O’Connell was ‘duty-bound’ to disqualify the accused from driving for one year. Mr. Delahunty highlighted that his client has no addiction problems, and believed he was insured at the time through his work.

Judge O’Connell handed the accused a one year disqualification for the DUI charge, along with a €200 fine for possession of cannabis. The judge decided to adjourn sentencing for the driving without insurance charge for a year to “see how he gets on.”

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