‘Me no drinking,’ motorist three times over limit told garda

A Polish motorist with an open can of cider in the cup holder of his car and an open bottle of vodka on the passenger seat insisted: "Me no drinking" when approached by a garda.

However, when his urine sample was subsequently tested, it came back with a reading of 223mgs of alcohol per 100mls of urine –— well over three times the legal limit.

Judge Olann Kelleher yesterday banned Piotr Hoffman from driving for three years at Cork District Court and fined him €450 for drink-driving and another €450 for having no insurance.

Hoffman, aged 48, who was living at Eagle Valley in Wilton, Cork, at the time, was seen acting suspiciously in his car at the Kinsale Road commercial park shortly after lunchtime on October 15, 2012.

Garda Joseph Halpin said yesterday that he approached the Volkswagen Touareg with the engine running and noticed the driver behaving in an erratic manner.

“He attempted to drive out of his parked position and he stalled. He drove about one metre in reverse and stalled again,” said Garda Halpin.

“His behaviour was strange. He had a can of Bulmers cider in the cup holder next to the seat. He was quite incoherent and his speech was slurred.

“I asked him to get out of the car. He was unsteady on his feet and fell backwards against the vehicle.

“I had to hold him to prevent him from falling. I saw an open bottle of Smirnoff vodka on the passenger seat. He kept repeating the phrase, ‘me no drinking’.”

Hoffman was arrested and taken to Togher Garda Station.

Defence solicitor Diarmuid Kelleher said the case was listed for trial yesterday but the defendant had not appeared to contest the case.

Judge Kelleher then convicted and fined the accused on the evidence and banned him from driving for three years.

Mr Kelleher said the defendant had become homeless since this occurred two years ago and was now living with the Simon community.