Drunk driver caught doing speeds of 150kph on busy M1 fined and banned

Paul Rice (42) had broken up with his former partner and he “foolishly” got into his car after she asked him to leave.

Judge Dermot Dempsey fined Rice €750 and banned him from driving for three years.

The defendant, of Park Wood, Grange Rath, Drogheda, Co Meath, was found guilty of drunk driving on the M1 Motorway Junction 4 on January 28, 2022.

Garda Ultan Larney told Swords District Court he was on mobile patrol when a BMW 5-series drove past on the northbound lane, doing over 150kph.

Gda Larney said the car was continually crossing over the white lines on the road, and the driving was dangerous.

The vehicle was stopped, and Gda Larney said Rice told him “yeah, I f**ked up”.

There were two open cans in the car, and Rice’s clothes were wet and smelt of alcohol.

Gda Larney said Rice provided a blood sample and it gave a reading of 217mgs of alcohol per 100mls of blood.

Defence lawyer Deirdre Flannery said Rice, a father of three, was an electrician, and a driving ban would impact on his ability to provide for his family.

In this incident, Rice and his partner had broken up, she asked him to leave and he foolishly jumped into the car. He was thankful nothing more serious had happened, Ms Flannery said.​