Dangerous driving conviction for man who drove through garda checkpoint on busy Kilkenny thoroughfare

A conviction for dangerous driving has been handed down to a man who drove through a garda check point in Gowran.

Kristers Butovskis, 52 Browneshill Rise, Browneshill Road, Carlow, pleaded guilty to the charge, and to charges of driving without insurance and driving under the influence of drugs.

Sergeant Morgan O’Connor said gardaí had a checkpoint in Gowran on December 19, 2024.
At 10.25pm a BMW approached and failed to stop. The vehicle drove through the village, later stopping in a housing estate.

Gardaí followed and saw three males walking away from the car and identified one as the driver.

Mr Butovskis failed an oral fluid test for drugs.
He admitted being the driver of the car.

The court was told Mr Butovskis had previous convictions for driving without insurance.

Solicitor Chris Hogan apologised on his client’s behalf for his driving on the day. Once Mr Butovskis was stopped he was cooperative with the gardaí.

Mr Hogan said his client is Latvian and moved to Ireland when he was four. He later moved to Carlow where he unfortunately got involved with a peer group that were involved in drugs.

Mr Butovskis moved back to Latvia to get away from the influence of this group.

The solicitor asked the court to give his client credit for his guilty plea and his disassociation from that group. He is not using any illegal intoxicants now.

Judge Geradline Carthy convicted Mr Butovskis of driving without insurance and imposed a four year disqualification.
On the charge of dangerous driving he was fined €500 and disqualified from driving for two years.
On the charge of drug driving Mr Butovskis was disqualified from driving for a year.