A former Garda superintendent who was head of the Western traffic division today pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to give a breath sample when stopped on suspicion of drink driving.
He was banned from driving for four years and fined €750 at Loughrea District Court. The prosecution did not seek a conviction for drunk drinking after Mr Fitzgerald had pleaded guilty to the other offences.
James Fitzgerald (54) of Newgrove, Kilrickle, Co Galway resigned from the force following his arrest on March 29th this year.
Counsel for Mr Fitzgerald said his client had been regularly off work for some time suffering from stress because he was the subject of a Garda investigation.
He was offered the position in Galway after being cleared of wrongdoing. He been moved from Nenagh to Dublin during the investigation.
The court heard Garda evidence that Mr Fitzgerald was detained after it a car was reported veering across the main Dublin-Galway road.
He was stopped road near Craughwell and arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
He was taken to the local Garda station where failed after four attempts to give a breath sample.
Judge John Anderson fined Mr Fitzgerald €500 and banned him from driving for four years for failing to give a specimen; and a further €250 and a concurrent one-year driving ban for dangerous driving.