Whiskey a Go Go | 

Cork driver allegedly assaults garda after guzzling Jameson while driving

He was eventually brought to a halt near Kilbehenny, where he allegedly assaulted a member of the force.

Níall Feiritear

Today at 12:58

A motorist has been arrested in Cork after he drove along the hard shoulder drinking whiskey and cider before allegedly assaulting a member of an Garda Síochána.

The incident happened on Wednesday on the M8 in Fermoy and gardaí found a bottle of whiskey and an open can of cider in his cup holders after he was pulled over while trying to overtake stationary vehicles.

A section of the M8 had been shut down due to a serious accident and while cars were backed up waiting to move, one driver took it upon himself to jump into the hard shoulder and put the boot down.

The van driver was quickly spotted by gardaí who directed him to pull over. He failed to stop and a pursuit ensued. He was eventually brought to a halt near Kilbehenny, where he allegedly assaulted a member of the force.

The driver failed a roadside breath test and was arrested for driving under the influence. He is also due to be charged with dangerous driving and the assault of a garda due to the circumstances surrounding his detention.

Gardaí shared images of the inside of the van on social media showing the whiskey and an open Bulmers cider can, as well as numerous vaping products and a Burberry aftershave bottle scattered around the driver’s seat.

Units from the Mitchelstown Roads Policing and the Fermoy District Drugs Unit collaborated on the arrest while under the guidance of Command and Control operators.

A Garda spokesperson said: “On Tuesday afternoon, a Community Garda from Fermoy observed a van overtaking a line of traffic by using the hard shoulder, as the rest of the road users patiently complied with a diversion on the M8 approaching Glanmire, in place due to a previous collision earlier yesterday.

“When the motorist was directed to pull over, he failed to stop and continued on the diversion route on a minor road before returning to the M8, eventually being brought safely to a stop near Kilbehenny.

“Units from Mitchelstown Roads Policing and Fermoy District Drugs Unit, under guidance from Command and Control, teamed up to bring about a positive outcome.

“On investigation, it was clear why the driver may have been unwilling to stop. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated and charged to appear at Mallow District Court with offences related to driving under the influence, dangerous driving and assaulting a garda.

“Remember, drinking and driving costs lives, it’s never worth the risk. Thankfully, nobody was hurt on this occasion. Our message is always #ArriveAlive”