Speeding driver in Donegal was more than 24 times over drug-driving limit - Donegal Daily

A man pulled over for speeding in Letterkenny has landed a three-year driving ban after being found to have been more than 24 times over the drug-driving limit....

A man pulled over for speeding in Letterkenny has landed a three-year driving ban after being found to have been more than 24 times over the drug-driving limit.

Kevin McGilloway was fined a total of €1,300 at Letterkenny District Court.

The accused, a 44-year-old of Glen Galliagh Park in Derry, was not present in court nor was he legally represented when his case was called before Judge Emile Daly.

Garda Stephen Campbell told the court that on September 13, 2025 he was conducting a speed check at Dromore, Letterkenny.

The road is governed by a speed limit of 100km/h and McGilloway was clocked travelling at 137km/h.

When Garda Campbell spoke to the driver, he said he observed that his pupils were dilated and due to the manner of driving he conducted a roadside test, which came back as positive for the presence of cocaine.

McGilloway was arrested and conveyed to Letterkenny Garda Station, where a nurse took a sample of blood.

Gardai received confirmation that McGilloway had no alcohol in his system, but he had a presence of benzoylecgonine (cocaine) of 1,214.8 nanogrames per millilitre of blood, where the legal limit is 50ng/ml.

The court heard that there is no distinction between the various ranges of readings for drug-driving and Inspector Johnny Sweeney said that similar cases before the courts had resulted in three-year disqualifications being issued.

The court was also informed that McGilloway had not attended on any of four dates on which the matter had been listed in the court.

Judge Daly said she was satisfied that the facts were proven and noted that nothing had been advanced to the court by way of mitigation.

For the speeding offence, McGilloway was fined €500 and given four months to pay.

Judge Daly said that she was taking note of the age of the accused saying: “He is not someone who can claim youth as a defence and also taking account of the high reading.”

On the drug-driving charge, McGilloway was disqualified from driving for three years and fined €800.

Judge Daly added: “There are ways of dealing with these matters. If it was dealt with on then first time and the defendants gave respect to the court and attended to their obligations, the penalties would be very different.”