Man arrested for drink driving nabbed a second time after returning to car and almost crashing into taxi

An unlicensed driver who was arrested by gardaí for drinking and driving was arrested again a short time later after almost crashing into a taxi.

At a checkpoint in Co Waterford, a driver was nabbed by officers after he was detected under the influence of alcohol and without a licence.

He was arrested and detained at the station before being released three hours later. This was not the end of the ordeal, however, as gardaí spotted him getting back into his car and nearly colliding with a taxi.

READ MORE: Soldier arrested as drugs and cash seized in swoop at Cork barracks

The driver was re-arrested having tested over double the legal alcohol limit for the second time and has since been charged and is due to appear before court at a later date.

A garda spokesperson said: “At a checkpoint in Waterford, this driver was detected under the influence of alcohol and without a licence. He was arrested by gardaí and detained at the station.

“When released three hours later, we saw him get back in his car and intervened as he almost collided with a taxi.

“For his own safety and that of other road users, the driver was rearrested having tested over double the alcohol limit for the second time. He has since been charged and is due to appear before court at a later date.”

Penalties on conviction for drink driving vary depending on the amount of alcohol that has been detected in your system.

The court will also take into account whether this is your first offence or otherwise. Under the penalties introduced by the Road Traffic Act 2006, all convictions for drink driving result in a mandatory disqualification from driving.

It is also an offence to drive without a licence. If you don’t have a current licence, and your driving licence expired less than 12 months before the offence took place, you could be fined up to €1,000.

If it was more than 12 months since your licence was valid (or if you never had a valid licence), you could be fined up to €2,000.

Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.