Saturday 31 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 19730Drug driving; dangerous driving; driving without insurance · Co. Donegal

Donegal Town man fined and banned after drug driving and dangerous driving in absence

On January 13 (year not stated), a 26-year-old man crashed a BMW onto a footpath at Doonan, Donegal Town, while driving under the influence of drugs and attempting a drift manoeuvre on a roundabout. Gardaí charged him with drug driving, dangerous driving and driving without insurance. He was convicted in his absence at a Monday sitting of Donegal District Court, reported on 25 September 2023. He was fined a total of €600 and disqualified from holding a licence for one or two years, with recognisance of €100 set in the event of an appeal.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced25 Sep
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
A 26-year-old man crashed a BMW onto a footpath while allegedly driving under the influence of drugs.
Where
The collision occurred at Doonan, Donegal Town.
When
The offences occurred on January 13; the sources do not give the year.
Cause
The driver had been trying to perform a drifting manoeuvre on a roundabout in Donegal Town when the collision occurred.
Investigation
  • Gardaí attended the scene after receiving a report of a single vehicle collision.
  • A roadside alcohol test was negative, and a drug test was positive, with analysis finding 25.7ng of metabolised cannabis per millilitre of blood.
  • CCTV footage showed the driver attempting a drift manoeuvre at the roundabout when the collision occurred.
  • The driver failed to produce insurance when asked at a garda station; he told gardaí the car was rear-wheel drive and he lost control of it.
Charges
The man faced charges of drug driving, dangerous driving and driving without insurance, with the insurance charge reported both as taken into consideration and as one of the offences sentenced.
In court
The man failed to attend and was convicted in his absence at a Monday sitting of Donegal District Court, reported on 25 September 2023.
Sentence
  • For drug driving he was fined €200 and disqualified from holding a licence for one year.
  • For dangerous driving he was fined a further €200 and disqualified for two years, and for driving without insurance he was fined another €200 and banned from holding a licence for two years.
  • The judge set recognisance at €100 in the event of an appeal.
16 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA man crashed a BMW onto a footpath while driving under the influence of drugs and was convicted in his absence. (donegallive.ie)
  • whereThe offences occurred at Doonan, Donegal Town. (donegallive.ie)
  • whenThe offences occurred on January 13. (donegallive.ie)
  • causeThe defendant had been trying to perform a drifting manoeuvre on a roundabout in Donegal Town. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí attended the scene after receiving a report of a single vehicle collision. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationA roadside alcohol test was negative. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationA drug test was positive and analysis found 25.7ng of metabolised cannabis per millilitre of blood. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationThe defendant failed to produce insurance when asked at a garda station. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationCCTV footage showed the defendant attempting a drift manoeuvre at the roundabout when the collision occurred. (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeA charge of failure to produce insurance was taken into consideration. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe case was heard at Donegal District Court on a Monday sitting. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceFor drug driving he was fined €200 and disqualified from holding a licence for one year. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceFor dangerous driving he was fined a further €200 and disqualified for two years. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceFor driving without insurance he was fined another €200 and banned from holding a licence for two years. (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge set recognisance at €100 in the event of an appeal. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherThe driver told gardaí the car was rear-wheel drive and he lost control of it. (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 25 Sep2023
    Sentenceddonegallive.ie, first report
    Crashed BMW onto footpath while driving under the influence of drugs

    Court report on the sentencing of Diego Gjowacki, convicted in his absence over a single collision at Doonan, Donegal Town. The article gives 13 January but no year. It is a different incident from existing case 17784, which concerns cannabis possession at his home in March 2023.

    convicted, Diego Gjowacki, 26, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Diego Gjowacki