Hot bonnet helps convict taxi driver in Navan drink case

GARDA evidence that the bonnet of a car was 'hot' was cited by Judge John Brophy at Navan Court when he found a man guilty of being drunk in charge of the vehicle at Tara Court Crescent, Navan, last June.

Judge Brophy fined Philip Meagher, 22, Tara Court Square, Proudstown Road, Navan, €500 (endorsed) with three years disqualification, deferring the start of the disqualification period to 1st. April next.  Recognisances were fixed for appeal purposes.

Garda Pat Muldowney, Navan, gave evidence of finding the defendant in the car with another person. After forming the opinion that he had consumed excess alcohol, he arrested, charged and cautioned him and took him to Navan Garda Station. He was found to have excess alcohol in his urine.

The court heard that Philip Meagher, who pleaded not guilty, was a taxi-driver.

He told Judge Brophy he  had been working in Dublin that weekend and then on Tuesday night (12th June) a friend from Dublin visited him in Navan. They had gone out for drinks but were on foot. There had not been enough room to park two vehicles in the driveway so the car was parked elsewhere.

When they were walking home, he was talking to his friend about the rock band, Led Zepelin. They got into the car and were listening to a CD of the band.

He had been concerned when his friend got out and urinated against the wall and told him not to.

He told the Court he would not have been driving the car with this amount of drink consumed. He did not accept that the bonnet of the car was hot, indicating that he had been driving it.

Judge Brophy said there was no other explanation as to why the bonnet of the car should be warm at 2.30am.

Pat Purcell, BL, for the defendant, said his client had been a taxi-driver for eight years. He was self-employed. The loss of his licence would have a devastating effect on him.