Drink-driving accident blocked busy West Cork road, court hears

A man who lost control of his BMW and crashed it into a concrete fence has pleaded guilty to drink-driving in the district court.

Sergeant Trish O’Sullivan told Bantry District Court that on October 6, 2024, at 9pm gardaí received a report of a car left in a dangerous position in Glengarriff, Co Cork.

When gardaí arrived at the scene at the R572 at Loughavoul, Glengarriff, a BMW car was in the middle of the road. The car had a concrete fence post lodged in its grill and looked like it had hit a concrete fence on the left side of the road before spinning into the middle of the road.

A man standing by the car — identified as 51-year-old Aleksandrs Balitovs, with an address at Bay Meadows Avenue, Hollystown, Dublin 15 — admitted he was the driver of the BMW. Mr Balitovs showed signs of intoxication and he was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and taken to Bantry Garda Station.

At the Garda station, a breath test could not be successfully completed by Balitovs, who gave a blood sample which indicated a blood alcohol level of 141mg per 100ml where the legal limit is 50mg. 

Balitovs also failed to provide proof he was insured to drive the vehicle at the time. The court heard Balitovs had 11 previous convictions, including one for drink-driving and three for driving without insurance.

Defence solicitor Flor Murphy said his client worked on fishing boats in Castletownbere and was on his way back to Dublin after finishing a period at sea when the accident happened. 

Mr Murphy said Balitovs had contacted his brother who owned the car to arrange insurance for him to drive it but the insurance did not come into effect until midnight and Balitovs was under the mistaken impression he was insured to drive the car.

Mr Murphy said Balitovs stayed with the vehicle and pleaded guilty and was “putting his hands up” and admitting he was in the wrong.

Judge Joanne Carroll convicted Balitovs of drink-driving and disqualified him from driving for four years. He was also convicted of careless driving and fined €175, with four months the pay. The judge said she would strike out the no insurance charge “just about” given the circumstances.