When Gardaí responded to an apparently abandoned car at Addergoole, Headford Road, they found a man so deeply asleep in the vehicle that they called for an ambulance to assist.
The car was stationary in a dangerous location with no lights on a pitch-black night, March 4, 2025, and responding Gardaí found it very difficult to wake him.
It transpired that Basil Kuriakose, 1 Doire Beg, Derrymullen, Ballinasloe, was so intoxicated that Judge Fiona Lydon told Galway District Court that the alcohol levels in his system were very concerning.
Kuriakose failed to provide a breath sample at the scene and Gardai followed the ambulance to hospital, where they obtained a blood sample for analysis. This sample returned a reading of 260ml of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood, which indicates the defendant was over five times the legal limit when found.
He pleaded guilty to the offence, and the court was told he had one previous conviction for driving without insurance last year.
Michael Cunningham, solicitor (defending ), said his client was aged 32 and had been in this country for four years. He worked full-time as a care assistant. He had a full Irish licence and a disqualification would impact his employment. He added that his client was very grateful for the Gardaí coming to his assistance on the night.
The defence requested the mandatory driving ban be postponed until February next to allow the defendant to get his affairs in order.
Judge Lydon agreed but expressed concern over the very high reading and warned Kuriakose that if he was caught drunk driving again, he could end up in prison.
She imposed the mandatory four-year ban for failing to provide a breath sample when demanded by a Garda. A fine of €750 was also imposed.
