A person who went on a spending spree in Letterkenny after stealing a financial institution card has been banned from driving for six years after a subsequent drink-driving detection.
Paul Ganju was postpone the street when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court docket earlier than Choose Éiteáin Cunningham.
Sergeant Jim Collins advised the courtroom that Gardai responded to a single-vehicle street visitors accident at Rathdonnell, Trentagh, at 7.25pm on September 23, 2022.
Ganju admitted driving the car. Gardai detected a robust scent of alcohol from his breath. A subsequent breath take a look at confirmed a studying of 89 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Ganju undertook to provide his licence and insurance coverage, however didn’t accomplish that.
The courtroom additionally heard particulars of a collection of incidents on Might 15, 2022. Ganju, a 52-year-old with an deal with at Highbury Flats, Excessive Highway, Letterkenny, pleaded responsible to stealing a financial institution card belonging to a Paul Hegarty at Excessive Highway, Letterkenny. Sergeant Collins advised the courtroom that Mr Hegarty reported his financial institution card lacking whereas he was socialising.
Mr Hegarty observed that his card had been used at seven totally different instances on the identical date. Over the course of an hour, Ganju used the cardboard seven instances at each Lidl, Pearse Highway, Letterkenny and Kernan’s Spar, Decrease Foremost Avenue. The sums spent ranged from €2.55 to €24.92 and amounted to a complete of €99.28.
Ganju was subsequently recognized on CCTV. The next day, Gardai spoke with Ganju, who admitted the incidents and handed over the cardboard.
Ganju, who has three earlier convictions, was additionally earlier than the courtroom on a public order cost referring to an incident on October 30, 2022. Gardai have been referred to as to a report of a male inflicting a disturbance exterior the Warehouse on Excessive Highway, Letterkenny. Ganju was directed to go away, however returned 10 minutes later and was standing in entrance of visitors shouting at Gardai to arrest him. Ganju was ‘extremely intoxicated’ on the time, the courtroom heard.
Mr Rory O’Brien, solicitor for Ganju, mentioned his shopper initially hailed from Romania and has been in Eire for round 12 years in the past. Mr O’Brien mentioned a tragedy that befell Ganju set off a sequence of occasions in his life.
“He struggled mentally, however he endeavoured to keep up a place of employment,” Mr O’Brien mentioned. “There was a mix of alcohol dependence and emotional and well being points.
“The incidents of theft, he was utilizing the naked requirements, issues like easy meals. He has been dwelling a reasonably nomadic way of life, typically sleeping in his automobile and he’s barely capable of survive. That’s the place he’s at. He’s pieced collectively.”
In respect of the drink-driving matter, Choose Cunningham famous that it was Ganju’s second such conviction. Ganju was convicted and disqualified from driving for six years. Ganju was additionally fined €100, with six months to pay.
Concerning the opposite issues, Choose Cunningham directed {that a} probation and welfare report be compiled and adjourned the matter till January 22, 2024.
Man who stole financial institution card went on spending spree was final modified: October fifth, 2023 by
