Prison sentence for drink driver who refused to listen to wife’s reasoning

A man who refused to listen to his wife’s reasoning has been put behind bars after crashing his car while more than twice the legal drink drive limit.

Matusz Tomasz, 54, of Avondale Manor, Craigavon appeared before Magistrates’ Court on Friday via video link from Maghaberry charged with drink driving, driving without due care and attention and careless driving.

At 11.05 am on February 6, police were called to the defendant’s house by his wife, there she informed them he had been drinking all day and just left the house in the car.

Police were then called to a road traffic collision on James Street, Portadown, involving a silver Corsa and another vehicle.

When they arrived they found the defendant’s son in the driver’s seat, but witnesses confirmed that Tomasz had been driving the car at the time of the crash.

The allegation was that the defendant had been driving on the wrong side of the road at speed and came out of a junction colliding with the rear of the other vehicle.

Tomasz was arrested, he gave a breath test in custody which gave a reading of 75mg of alcohol in 100mls of breath.

In interview, the defendant was very vague saying he could remember leaving the house but not recall the crash.

Defence counsel stated that on the morning Tomasz had a domestic rift about his “lack of sobriety”.

Adding that he “did not listen to reason but barged on regardless”.

The defence went on to say “this type of behaviour often ends in very serious injuries”.

Court heard that this had been a “sobering experience” as he had been on remand since February 7, as his wife did not offer his home as the bail address.

The defence finished by saying Tomasz was “deeply remorseful” and had no previous record.

District Judge Bernie Kelly said this offence was so serious “driving over twice the legal limit, on the wrong side of the road and without regard to road signs” that there was only one sentence she could impose.

Tomasz was sentenced to two months imprisonment on each charge and disqualified for 12 months on each charge

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