Doped driver 'put lives at risk'
Thursday March 18 2010
A DRIVER has been slammed for potentially putting the lives of pedestrians at risk by driving under the influence of cannabis.
Mateusz Suszek with an address at Brookdale, Midleton, was jailed by Judge Michael Pattwell last Friday at Fermoy District Court following, what the judge described as, his 'intolerable behaviour'.
The court heard that Suszek, who had no previous convictions, was stopped at a garda checkpoint in Coolcarron, Fermoy, at approximately 11.55am on Monday, May 25 last. Inspector Tony O'Sullivan told the court that Suszek's speech was slurred and a sample of urine taken following his arrest on suspicion of drug diving tested positive for cannabis.
Suszek's solicitor, Jerry Healy, said his client had been away for the weekend and had been smoking cannabis, and apologised to the court.
Judge Pattwell said he was appalled that the defendant was driving under the influence of an intoxicant at that time on a Monday morning.
"Only a couple of hours earlier young children would have been on their way to school. An hour later and parents would have been collecting children from playschool," he said.
Jailing Suszek for 14-days and imposing a four-year driving ban, the judge said: "I find it hard to believe that there are people out there who still behave in such an irresponsible manner".
