A man who went on a spending spree in Letterkenny after stealing a bank card has been banned from driving for six years after a subsequent drink-driving detection.
Paul Ganju was put off the road when he appeared at Letterkenny District Court before Judge Éiteáin Cunningham.
Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that Gardai responded to a single-vehicle road traffic accident at Rathdonnell, Trentagh, at 7.25pm on September 23, 2022.
Ganju admitted driving the vehicle. Gardai detected a strong smell of alcohol from his breath. A subsequent breath test showed a reading of 89 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Ganju undertook to produce his licence and insurance, but did not do so.
The court also heard details of a series of incidents on May 15, 2022. Ganju, a 52-year-old with an address at Highbury Apartments, High Road, Letterkenny, pleaded guilty to stealing a bank card belonging to a Paul Hegarty at High Road, Letterkenny. Sergeant Collins told the court that Mr Hegarty reported his bank card missing while he was socialising.
Mr Hegarty noticed that his card had been used at seven different times on the same date. Over the course of an hour, Ganju used the card seven times at both Lidl, Pearse Road, Letterkenny and Kernan’s Spar, Lower Main Street. The sums spent ranged from €2.55 to €24.92 and amounted to a total of €99.28.
Ganju was subsequently identified on CCTV. The following day, Gardai spoke with Ganju, who admitted the incidents and handed over the card.
Ganju, who has three previous convictions, was also before the court on a public order charge relating to an incident on October 30, 2022. Gardai were called to a report of a male causing a disturbance outside the Warehouse on High Road, Letterkenny. Ganju was directed to leave, but returned 10 minutes later and was standing in front of traffic shouting at Gardai to arrest him. Ganju was ‘highly intoxicated’ at the time, the court heard.
Mr Rory O’Brien, solicitor for Ganju, said his client originally hailed from Romania and has been in Ireland for around 12 years ago. Mr O’Brien said a tragedy that befell Ganju set off a sequence of events in his life.
“He struggled mentally, but he endeavoured to maintain a position of employment,” Mr O’Brien said. “There was a combination of alcohol dependence and emotional and health issues.
“The incidents of theft, he was using the bare necessities, things like simple food. He has been living a fairly nomadic lifestyle, often sleeping in his car and he is barely able to survive. That is where he is at. He is pieced together.”
In respect of the drink-driving matter, Judge Cunningham noted that it was Ganju’s second such conviction. Ganju was convicted and disqualified from driving for six years. Ganju was also fined €100, with six months to pay.
Regarding the other matters, Judge Cunningham directed that a probation and welfare report be compiled and adjourned the matter until January 22, 2024.
Man who stole bank card went on spending spree was last modified: October 5th, 2023 by