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Artist convinces judge she did not intend to drink drive

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A Canadian artist convinced a judge that she was sleeping the night in her car with a beau she met at the Clifden Arts Festival, rather than about to drive home when caught with the engine running.

A native of Quebec, Delphine Schofield Veronneau was doing a home exchange at Oyster Cove, Kilkerrin, Carna, while living as an artist in residence.

On patrol after 3am on September 24 was Sergeant Edward Cronin, who told Clifden District Court that when he drove into the public carpark in Clifden he spotted the lights shining on the first car he saw.

There was a woman in the driver’s seat with her two hands placed on the steering wheel, with the keys in the ignition, engine running and the fan turned on. There was a man in the passenger seat and both were sitting upright.

He asked the 33-year-old if she had consumed alcohol and she replied that she had three pints. He brought her to Clifden Garda Station on suspicion of being drunk in charge. She later gave a reading of 46mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath – more than double the legal limit.

Sergeant Cronin said he had done a sweep of the carpark just a little earlier and there was nobody occupying any of the six cars.

Schofield Veronneau began her evidence with a direct plea to Judge Mary Fahy. “I would never drink and drive. I just wouldn’t do it.”

She went on to recall that she was in town to attend the Clifden Arts Festival and intended to stay with a friend who worked in Mullarkey’s Pub after enjoying a few drinks.

She was going to walk to that friend’s place but she then met a man. She decided to sleep instead in her car where her new friend joined her.

There they passed an hour or so.

“I was sick at one stage…we kissed…at some stage I decided to turn on the car for the heat. I had no idea it was illegal. The second I turned on the car the police arrived. There was no intention except heating the car…in no second that night did I intend to drive the car,” she told the court.

She was asked by the prosecutor why she cleared the screen with the fan or had put on the lights if she did not intend to drive.

Schofield Veronneau replied that it was automatic in the car she was driving for the fan and lights to be switched on once the key was turned.

Judge Fahy asked if she really intended to sleep in a car all night.

She replied that she did. After being processed in the Garda station she had returned to her car to sleep for the rest of the night.

“Where did this male friend go?” asked Judge Fahy. “I don’t know,” replied the defendant.

“He was no gentleman,” the District Judge retorted.

Judge Fahy said she was going to dismiss the charge of being drunk in charge.

“I’m sort of suspicious but at the same time I have a doubt. She has raised doubts in my mind that she’s not somebody who foolishly drinks and drives.”`

Connacht Tribune

West has lower cancer survival rates than rest

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Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.

A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.

For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.

These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.

“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.

In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.

Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.

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Connacht Tribune

Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents

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Galway's Aaron Niland is chased by Cillian O'Callaghan of Cork during Saturday's All-Ireland Minor Hurling semi-final at Semple Stadium. Photo: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile.

Galway 3-18

Cork 1-10

NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.

The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.

Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.

Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.

Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.

Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety

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Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche

GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.

Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.

Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.

“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.

“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.

He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.

“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.

“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.

He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.

The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.

“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

 

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