Ten year ban for repeat drink driver

A REPEAT drink driving offender has been warned that he will serve six months in prison if found unsuitable for community service. The Lithuanian national was also put off the road for 10 years and fined €500 in total at a recent sitting of Monaghan District Court.

Mindaugas Jenkus (32) with an address at a property in Greengates Manor, Dundalk, Co Louth, but now living in Co Mayo, admitted driving with excess alcohol and without a licence or insurance at Largy, Clones, Co Monaghan, on February 4, 2024.

Inspector Declan McGarvey said the defendant was arrested after he was observed driving erratically. The court heard he later gave a breath sample that was found to be over the legal limit - 71mg/100ml (22mg limit). He was also disqualified from driving at the time he was stopped.

Jenkus received a four-month prison sentence and five-year disqualification at Tuam District Court in April 2022 for driving with excess alcohol and having no insurance. Earlier convictions for motoring offences in 2021 at courts in Castlebar and Clifden were also outlined by the inspector.

Solicitor Niall Fox said his client made a foolish decision to drive after socialising with friends. He had stopped for diesel and tried to walk away after seeing the gardaí. But, when apprehended, he admitted already being disqualified.

The court heard the defendant was going through a bad period with alcohol and drugs at the time but is now working at two jobs in Claremorris, Co Mayo, and supporting his seven-year-old daughter.

Mr Fox said it was accepted, given his client’s previous record, that he should not be driving and he was facing a long period of disqualification. But he asked the court to consider suspending any prison sentence or to look at community service as an option.

Judge Ciaran Liddy convicted and fined him €250 on each of the drink driving and no insurance charges. He also imposed a 10-year driving disqualification in respect of those offences.

The judge ordered a probation report and indicated that, if found suitable for such work, Jenkus was to carry out 100 hours’ community service in lieu of six months’ in prison for the drink driving offence.

The case was adjourned to January 19, 2026, to facilitate the preparation of the probation report, but Judge Liddy stipulated that the driving ban and fines were imposed with immediate effect.