25 year ban and prison for man who drove on wrong side of Kildare motorway

A man who was driving on the wrong side of the motorway received a 25 year driving ban and four prison terms at Naas District Court on February 16.

Leonardo De Sousa, 36, whose address was given as Apartment 10 Cloncourt, Main Street, Clonee, was prosecuted for dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol, and having no insurance or licence on March 13 last on the M7 between Naas and Newbridge.

Sgt Jim Kelly recalled the incident took place shortly before 9.30pm on March 13 when the gardaí received a report about a car swerving between lanes on the M7.

The gardaí came near the vehicle and signalled it to stop but it turned and drove in the wrong direction, driving in a northbound direction on the southbound section.

Read more Kildare news

He was followed by the gardaí with activated blue lights and sirens but the pursuit was stood down and the gardaí left the motorway “due to the seriousness of the incident,” said Sgt Kelly.

A few minutes later the vehicle crashed into a barrier.

Nobody was injured and no other vehicle was involved in the accident.

The  driver was standing beside the vehicle and he was arrested. A breath sample returned a reading of 64 micograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

The court was told that the defendant drove for about 2-3 kilometres and he was disqualified from driving at the time.

He also had a two year disqualification for no insurance but this had lapsed four days before the incident.

Solicitor Tim Kennelly said the case  was “next to impossible to try to mitigate”.

The defendant, he added, is from Brazil originally and worked in a meat factory in Clounty Meath.

Mr Kennelly said the defendant could have €5,000 in court for charity to avoid a jail term.

“He appears to have learned his lesson, he’s the sole earner in the family and his wife is disgusted with his behaviour. It appears he makes very stupid choices in relation to driving.”

The court also heard that the defendant had worked for 14 years for the same employer and is a hard working  man, who provides for his family.

He said the charitable donation would mean he will work for three months without getting paid whereas a custodial sentence would cost the State.

Judge Desmond Zaidan said the case was particularly serious and while the defendant had pleaded guilty, he was effectively caught redhanded, was disqualified at the time and has previous convictions for similar behaviour.

“He is a very serious  threat to other road users,” said the judge, adding that he himself drives past a cross on the roadway every day that commemorates those involved in an accident.

“This is at the upper end of seriousness. It could have gone horribly wrong.”

The defendant received four consecutive custody terms  of six months on two counts of dangerous driving, one at Maudlings, Naas and one at Newhall, Naas and one each for driving with excess alcohol and no insurance, both at Junction 12 northbound. He was also disqualified from driving for a total of 25 years and ordered to resit the driving test when the disqualifications expire.

Recognicances were fixed in the event of an appeal.