Man who narrowly avoided head-on crash with garda had Heineken in cup holder

Sunday World

a day ago

Aaron Hackett (24) was put off the road for three years and given a public dressing down by Judge Vincent Deane
A judge has issued a stinging rebuke to a construction worker who narrowly avoided crashing head on into an off duty garda while more than three times over the legal limit and with a can of Heineken in the cup holder of his car.
Aaron Hackett (24) Liscloondea, Mohill, Leitrim, was put off the road for three years and given a public dressing down by Judge Vincent Deane at a sitting of Longford District Court following an incident on February 28, 2024.
Hackett had contested a charge of drink driving on the grounds gardaí had failed to establish he had been driving in a public place when he was first sighted by Garda Colin Goldrick as he made his way home from work shortly after 1:30am.
Taking to the stand, Garda Goldrick said he had just completed a shift and was travelling along the midlands town's Battery Road when he encountered a black Audi A4 coming towards him.
Judge Vincent Deane said Aaron Hackett had shown "absolutely no respect" for the country's road traffic laws when found at the wheel with cans of alcohol in his car, one of which was still in a cup holder.
He spoke of how he was halfway through a junction which was governed by traffic lights when the car in question proceeded to overtake a white van and head straight towards him.
Despite bringing his own vehicle to a stop, Garda Goldrick said the Audi continued at a 'dangerous enough' speed before swerving onto a cycle path to avoid a head on collision.
Judge Deane was told how that episode resulted in Garda Goldrick turning around his own car to set off in pursuit of the suspect vehicle.
Garda Goldrick said he immediately contacted his colleague Garda Rachel Carlin who had been on duty in an official patrol car while maintaining a 'safe distance' from the Audi.
In doing so, he told of seeing its driver 'swerve in and out' of a continuous white line before the vehicle collided with a kerb as it took a left hand turn towards the Grafton Court area of town.
Garda Goldrick said the Audi made its way towards the town's Tesco Car Park where it eventually pulled in.
In waiting for his colleague to arrive, Garda Goldrick said he spoke to the driver who identified himself as the accused and where he asked the Leitrim man to produce his licence.
He said it was during that exchange, Hackett's speech appeared noticeably slurred, mannerisms which were compounded by the presence of cans which lay sitting in the middle console and passenger side of the vehicle.
In her direct evidence, Garda Carlin revealed how she arrived on the scene some 10 minutes later and became immediately suspicious that Hackett was under the influence of an intoxicant.
She said those concerns were manifested by the strong smell of alcohol that emanated from his breath, the glazed look in his eyes and, perhaps more so by the presence of a can of Heineken which had been left in a drinks holder inside the car.
Judge Deane was told how following his arrest and transferral to Longford Garda Station, a breathalyser test carried out on Hackett returned a reading of 72mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath.
Aaron Hackett was banned from driving for three years and fined €500.
The current drink driving limit for fully licenced drivers stands at 22mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath, meaning Hackett was more than three times over the legal threshold when stopped.
In response to those revelations, Hackett's defence counsel argued the State had failed to offer up any formative evidence he had been driving in a public place and was only arrested in a car park after the alleged incident had taken place.
Inspector Brian Boland replied by insisting Garda Goldrick had, indeed, provided evidence of spotting Hackett at the wheel of his car with his colleague also contending the confines of Tesco Car Park were consistent with being described as a public place.
Judge Deane wasted little time in endorsing those assertions and, in doing so, roundly rejected the claims that had been made on Hackett's behalf.
'Have I evidence before me that the Tesco Car Park is a public place? Judge Deane asked.
'I have, and the second thing is I know Tesco Car Park and I know it is a public place.'
In mitigation, counsel for Hackett said her client was currently on the books of a Carrick-on-Shannon based construction company and was someone who was very much contrite over his wrongdoing.
In addition to that regretful attitude, the court was also minded to consider Hackett's previously unblemished record before passing sentence.
Judge Deane said the court could not overlook the alcohol reading taken from Hackett on the night alongside his own behaviour which, he contended were actions that showed 'absolutely no respect' for the State's drink driving laws.
On that basis, he said there were doubts as to whether any credit could be given to Hackett's remorseful stance as he disqualified him from driving for three years.
Hackett was also fined €500 with the accused being remanded on his own €300 bond in recognisances minus any cash lodgement in the event of an appeal being lodged.
Aaron Hackett on the steps of Longford Courthouse.
News in 90 Seconds - Sunday, August 3rd