'Paralytic' BMW drunk driver in Laois could have killed people just before Christmas

A drunk driver drove from Kerry in his BMW with a bottle of whisky beside him before coming to a standstill in Laois at the M7/M8 toll booth.

The case of Tomas Wojas, aged 34, 13 Green, Bawnogue, Clondalkin, Dublin, came before Portlaoise District Court on July 11 arising from an incident in the run up to last Christmas.

Garda Rebecca Gavin gave evidence to Portlaoise that on 15 December 2023 she received a report at 4pm to attend the M7/M8 toll plaza where there was an intoxicated male driving a BMW 530 series.

On arrival at the scene at 4.15pm, she said poll plaza staff Shauna Harrington and Breda Bergin had informed her that the vehicle had driven into the self-service payment bay.

She was informed that there was a backlog behind the BMW so staff checked on the driver. On checking they found the driver to be very disoriented and strongly smelling of alcohol. This caused gardaí to be alerted.

Garda Gavin told Judge Andrew Cody that when she began to speak with the driver he seemed disoriented and also got a strong smell of alcohol. He told her his name but she noticed that his speech was slurred and his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

She arrested him and conveyed him to Portlaoise Garda Station. Garda Gavin told the judge that the accused had told Gardaí in the patrol car that he had travelled from Kerry that day.

Alcohol breath testing equipment was not working in the station so a doctor was called to take a sample of blood or urine at 6.44pm.

The resulting blood sample subsequently showed a reading of 307mg per 100 ml of blood which is three times the legal limit.
CCTV was available to the judge as evidence while toll booth staff were also present as witnesses.

Ms Harrington, a toll booth supervisor, took the stand. She told the judge that the driver was very intoxicated and ‘unable to string a sentence together’. She said she saw what she believed there was a bottle of what appeared to be whisky on the passenger seat.

She said a dision was made to call gardaí as it would have been their responsibility if “he went up the road and killed somebody”.

Garda Gavin said Mr Wojas was convicted of drunk driving in 2015 and banned for three years. He also has previous no insurance convictions.

Commenting before sentencing, Judge Cody said the driver was just drunk but had to be “absolutely paralytic” given the reading in the blood sample.

He added that it was very fortunate that people "were not killed" by a driver who drove from Kerry with a bottle of whiskey in the passenger seat.

Convicting Mr Wojas, the judge banned him for 10 years and fined him €2,500.

No defence was offered in court for the accused.