Belligerent, irate driver told Kilkenny Gardaí to ‘f*** off’ and refused to do roadside breath test
Kilkenny District Court told man had to be handcuffed while being arrested
A motorist who had to be ‘brought to the ground’ and handcuffed by a garda while being arrested has been convicted of drink driving.
Alan Ryan, 174 Cliona Park, Moyross, Limerick, denied the charges.
Gardaí received a call from a food delivery driver on January 30, 2026, at 10.30pm. He was driving from Thomastown to Ballyhale. At Jerpoint Abbey he saw another car driving towards him with smoke coming from it. It stopped on the blind bend.
Driver of the car was Mr Ryan. He asked the delivery driver for help. The delivery driver rang gardaí for assistance, telling them the car was smoking and the other man was ‘not speaking normally.’
On his return journey the delivery driver passed and confirmed to gardaí Mr Ryan was the man he rang about.
Garda Janet Gough attended the scene and saw a Mercedes with damage to the front bumper. Keys were in the ignition and Mr Ryan was standing beside the vehicle.
As it was a dangerous bend another garda went up the road to alert traffic.
Garda Gough noticed a strong smell of alcohol from Mr Ryan and he was unsteady. She asked for his licence and he "became irate,” telling her to “f*** off.” He waved at the breath test machine she had and kept issuing profanities.
Mr Ryan refused to give a breath sample and continued using bad language.
He started to walk away and Garda Gough arrested him for drink driving.
He became “irate and aggressive.” He had to be brought to the ground, for his own safety. In the garda car and “continued to be belligerent.”
Gardaí moved Mr Ryan’s car to a safer location then brought him to Kilkenny Garda Station.
Garda Gough agreed with solicitor Alex Rafter that there had been severe flooding that week, but that night all roads were clear. Mr Rafter said his client said he drove into a flood.
Garda Damien Rafter gave evidence of conducting the breath test at Kilkenny Garda Station. Mr Ryan was compliant. The result was 70mcg of alcohol per 100mls of breath.
For failing to give a roadside breath sample Mr Ryan was fined €350. He was convicted of drink driving, fined €800 and disqualified for three years.