A MAN who reversed his car the wrong way along the outside lane of a dual carriageway on Christmas Eve has been convicted of dangerous driving.
Beka Kiknadze, 37 of Riverside, Macroom pleaded guilty at Macroom Court to eight charges arising from three incidents.
BY DAVID FORSYTHE
Court presenter Sgt Trish O’Sullivan said that on October 16th, 2023 a silver Ford Focus car was observed driving erratically by repeatedly slowing down and speeding up and braking for no reason as it approached a garda checkpoint at Ballinagree West.
The driver identified as Beka Kiknadze appeared intoxicated and was asked to provide a breath specimen.
Despite five attempts Mr Kiknadze was unable to give a specimen and he was arrested and brought to Macroom Garda Station where a urine test confirmed an alcohol reading of 167mg per 100ml where the legal limit is 67mg.
Mr Kiknadze also failed to produce his insurance.
The court heard that on December 24th 2023 at 9.30pm gardaí were conducting a checkpoint at the Coolcower Roundabout at the end of the Macroom Bypass dual carriageway on the main N22 route between Cork and Killarney.
Several motorists arriving at the checkpoint informed gardaí that a car had stopped on the dual carriageway a short distance away and was attempting to reverse back up the road in the outside lane against the flow of oncoming traffic.
When gardaí reached the vehicle the driver was identified as Beka Kiknadze.
The silver Ford Focus he was driving was also displaying an insurance disc belonging to a different vehicle. The court was told that Mr Kiknadze did not explain why he was reversing the wrong way up the dual carriageway.
The third incident the court heard occurred on March 5th, 2024 at New Street, Macroom at 9.42pm.
A vehicle driven by Mr Kiknadze was stopped and he was asked to produce his licence and insurance. Mr Kiknadze agreed to produce the documents at Macroom Garda Station within 10 days but failed to do so.
Defence solicitor Sean Cahill said Mr Kiknadze was originally from Georgia and was somewhat confused by the Irish motor insurance system but admitted he had ‘been stupid and had learned his lesson’.
Mr Cahill said Mr Kiknadze worked full time at a carwash and supported his wife and three children and was currently living in refugee accommodation.
He said that he was no longer driving and no longer owned a car.
Judge John King said he did not accept that Mr Kiknadze was confused regarding his legal obligations.
He said that he had been stopped on two previous occasions but on the third occasion his car was still not insured.
He said that on the second occasion he was stopped the accused had an insurance disc from a different vehicle displayed in the windscreen.
For the incident on October 16th, 2023 he was fined €350 for drink driving, €250 for driving without insurance and €200 for failing to provide a specimen.
He was also disqualified from driving for two years for drink driving and two years for driving without insurance.
The fines were paid forthwith and the charge of failing to produce his insurance was taken into consideration.
For the incident on December 24th 2023 for dangerous driving he was ordered to carry out 100 hours community service in lieu of four months in prison, and disqualified from driving for four years. For driving without insurance he was fined €500 with three months to pay and disqualified from driving for four years.
The failing to produce charge was taken into consideration.
For failing to produce his licence and insurance in December 2024 Judge King adjourned the matter to January 21st, 2026.
He indicated that if Mr Kiknadze paid his fines, completes his community service order, and does not come to garda attention in the next year that he will receive a four-month suspended sentence, suspended for two years.
