Shannon accused of lying in drink-driving case

Award-winning Irish traditional musician Sharon Shannon was accused by a judge yesterday of telling blatant lies while giving…

Award-winning Irish traditional musician Sharon Shannon was accused by a judge yesterday of telling blatant lies while giving evidence in a drink driving case.

Shannon, of Devon Gardens, Salthill, Galway, denied she had been driving her car which crashed into a parked car at 6.30 a.m. on September 26th, 2001, at Taylor's Hill, Galway.

Shannon was found guilty of drunken driving by Judge Mary Fahy. She was fined €800 and disqualified from driving for two years. Recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal.

A breath sample taken from Shannon at Galway Garda station following her arrest showed a reading of 99 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath - almost three times over the legal limit.

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After hearing lengthy evidence in the case, Judge Fahy said it was based on lies. "The court has been subjected to total and utter and outright lies by the defendant and her witnesses. They told blatant lies in this court today. I'm quite happy that the driver was Sharon Shannon. Coming into court and telling lies under oath is considered minor by these people," Judge Fahy said.

Garda Pádraig Nee gave evidence that Shannon's car had crashed into a parked car and when he arrived at the scene he found the accused and a companion, Mr Leo Healy, standing on the roadway nearby. He asked who was driving the car and Shannon admitted she had been driving.

The Garda said Mr Leo Healy then told him he had been driving and at that stage Garda Nee took Shannon aside and asked her again if she had been driving. Shannon again admitted she was the driver.

Garda Nee said he noticed the accused was unsteady on her feet. Her speech was slurred and he got a strong smell of alcohol from her breath. He arrested her on suspicion of drunken driving and took her to Galway Garda station where she later provided two samples of her breath to Garda Seán McCole, for analysis.

Mr Leo Healy gave evidence he had been driving Shannon's car at the time of the crash. He said she had told the Garda she was driving to cover for him, but he had protested with Garda Nee that he had been driving.

Mr Healy admitted not having insurance and to having consumed 10 pints of Guinness at a party they had been to in the Crane Bar, Sea Road, Galway, prior to the accident.

He said he had waited in the Garda station while Shannon was being processed following her arrest and had not told anyone there he was the driver.

Singer/songwriter, Frankie Lane told the court he had been a back seat passenger in Shannon's car at the time of the accident and that Mr Healy had been driving. He suffered a broken nose and concussion in the accident and claimed he went to sleep in a nearby garden after first taking Shannon and Mr Healy from the car.

Mr Lane was uncertain about what time he woke up in the garden, but he walked into town and collapsed while eating breakfast in a cafe. He was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Mr Tony Joyce, who was asleep in his house nearby when the collision occurred, said he came out and found two people, a man and a woman standing near the crashed car.

Insp Tony O'Donnell said both Mr Healy and Lane were telling lies and had tried to mislead the court. Shannon gave evidence that she was very drunk on the night and banged her head off the windscreen in the impact. She said she made the admission that she was driving to Garda Nee because she knew Mr Healy was not insured to drive her car.

"All I remember is that it was definitely Leo who was driving and not me. I was really drunk. On the night I said I was driving because I was trying to protect Leo," she told Judge Fahy.

Judge Fahy said she was "quite happy" the accused had been driving the car. She noted that if Mr Healy had been driving the car he would have protested at the Garda station instead of waiting quietly for his companion while she gave a sample.