Drink driver regrets ‘biggest error of my life’

A RETIRED artist who was arrested for drink driving after he locked himself out of his B&B was told a ten minute error in judgement meant he was disqualified from driving for three years.
David Clarke of Cloonlee, Knock, told last week’s sitting of Westport District Court that he felt so bad for drink driving that he did not think he will drive again.
The 66-year-old retired artist was arrested on August 14, 2015 after he was stopped at a garda checkpoint at Doon, Westport at 1.40am. A subsequent blood sample showed he was over three times the legal limit.
Mr Clarke described the events of the night of his arrest as ‘extraordinary’ and explained he was touring around Connemara when he decided to stay in Westport and booked into a B&B. He told Judge Mary Devins that he went to a pub to watch a football match and had a few drinks and when he went back to his B&B, he got confused over the keys to access the house.
The court heard he tried a number of keys on different doors but could not open them. He said it was lashing rain and decided to go into his car and sleep. However he said his leg got sore and so he decided to drive
“There was not a sinner around and I was so confused. Lo and behold I made the biggest error of my life when I decided to drive. I was five minutes outside Westport when I was breathalysed,” he explained.
Mr Clarke said he lived in England for 48 years and returned to Ireland to retire and survives on his English pension. He said he has been driving since 1966 and never had an accident and he had a ten minute error of judgement after ‘40 odd year’s of clean driving’
Judge Devins said that the ten minute error meant he was going to be three years off the road. Inspector Mandy Gaynor agreed with Judge Devins when she believed his story and explained he was very co-operative on the night.
As well as imposing a three-year driving disqualification, Judge Devins fined him €300 but told him there was a ‘chink of light’ for him as he would receive no penalty points as he only had an English driver’s licence.