Man with 12-year driving ban caught driving illegally on Cork roads five times in one year

A Latvian man who was banned for driving for 12 years in 2019 was caught driving while disqualified on five occasions in 2025, the district court has heard.

Sergeant Tom Mulcahy told Clonakilty District Court that 52-year-old Andrejs Brics of Kippagh, Dunmanway, Co Cork, was charged with driving offences on five dates between February and October 2025, as well as one count of failing to appear in court. Brics was observed driving three times and was stopped on two occasions, the court was told.

On February 13, 2025, he was spotted by a garda who knew him driving a blue Peugeot 308 on Sackville Street in Dunmanway at 6.40pm.

On April 23, 2025 at Drinagh East, Dunmanway, he was seen driving while not wearing a seatbelt. He was followed and stopped at Lisbealad East and arrested on suspicion of drink driving. A blood sample confirmed a blood alcohol level of 120mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, where the legal limit is 50mg.

On May 20, 2025, Brics failed to appear in court. On May 23, 2025, at 6.15pm, he was observed driving a silver Kia Sportage at Underhill, Dunmanway. On July 24, 2025, Brics was seen driving a silver Kia Sportage at Lisbealad East, Dunmanway.

The final incident occurred at 6.55am on October 15, 2025, when Brics was again seen driving the silver Kia Sportage at Inchafune, Dunmanway.

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Defence solicitor Colette McCarthy said Brics had two children and was the main breadwinner for his family. She said he lived in a remote rural area and “went back driving because the family was struggling”.

She said Brics was a valued employee and his employer had now arranged transport to work for him. The court was told Brics could not give any other excuse. The court heard Brics had 54 previous convictions, including using a false instrument and also received a 12-year driving disqualification in 2019.

Judge Joanne Carroll said Brics got behind the wheel of a car with alcohol while disqualified and left her with no option but to impose a custodial sentence.

For driving while disqualified on April 23, he was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years and disqualified from driving for four years. He received the same penalty for having no insurance and for driving while intoxicated, he was sentenced to four months in prison and disqualified from driving for four years. He was also fined €500 and given six months to pay the fine.

For driving while disqualified on May 23 and July 24, he was sentenced to four months in prison for each offence and disqualified from driving for four years on each offence.

For driving while disqualified without insurance on October 15, he was disqualified from driving for four years on each offence and sentenced to four months in prison for each offence. The charge of failing to appear in court was struck out.

For driving while disqualified on February 13, he was remanded on continuing bail to appear again in September 2026. 

This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme