Wheelie bad Drunk artist who 'swayed' as he overtook garda car on bicycle admits arrest was 'fair enough'

A drunk artist who was stopped while cycling after he overtook and crossed in front of a garda patrol car admitted it was "fair enough" when he was arrested.

Tom O'Dea (36) was swaying as he told gardaí he had "a few pints" before cycling home through Dublin city centre.

He was left without a criminal record at Dublin District Court after he made a €500 charity donation. Judge Bryan Smyth struck the charge out.

O'Dea, of Waterloo Avenue, Dublin 3, pleaded guilty to being drunk in charge of a bicycle on January 22.

Garda Sergeant Michelle Lynch told Judge Smyth officers on patrol at 11.30pm on Bachelor's Walk saw the accused on a blue racing bike.

O'Dea was "swaying excessively" on the bike and swerving as he cycled it on Eden Quay. He overtook the marked garda patrol car and crossed over the road in front of it to get on the inside.

O'Dea was showing "very poor lane discipline" as his cycling became more erratic and dangerous to road users, Sgt Lynch said.

He veered across two full lanes of traffic without looking and gardaí stopped him.

As they spoke to him, they noticed O'Dea smelled of alcohol, slurred his speech, was unsteady on his feet and swayed as he tried to stand.

He admitted he had had "a few pints" before cycling home and that it was "fair enough that he was being arrested".

O'Dea was "extremely regretful and deeply embarrassed", his solicitor Ruth Walsh said.

He had "got ahead of himself" and made an "extremely stupid mistake" on the night, but put his hands up and took responsibility for it, she said.

The accused had never come to the attention of gardaí before, the court heard. It was "obviously a very serious incident" and O'Dea appreciated that but it was a "once-off" and he had done everything he could to mitigate the situation in the aftermath.

Ms Walsh asked the judge to leave the accused without a conviction.