Thursday 5 November 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. 26975Drug driving (cannabis); speeding · Co. Meath · 20 Feb 2021

Drug driving case struck out at Dundalk District Court

Mark Madine, 33, with an address at Glenvale Road, Newry, was caught driving a Citroen Berlingo van at 154 km/h in a 120 km/h zone on the M1 at Whiterath, Castlebellingham, in Meath on 20 February 2021. A roadside saliva test was positive for cannabis, and a blood sample taken at Drogheda Garda Station also tested positive. He was charged with drug driving and speeding. At Dundalk District Court in May 2022, the case was struck out because the doctor who took the blood sample wrote the wrong name on the form and was not called to give evidence.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Acquitted6 May
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The defendant was driving a Citroen Berlingo van at 154 km/h in a 120 km/h zone.
  • A roadside saliva drug test was positive for cannabis and negative for all other drugs.
  • A blood sample taken at Drogheda Garda Station was positive for cannabis.
Where
  • The speed check was conducted at Whiterath, Castlebellingham on the M1 in Meath.
  • The defendant had an address at Glenvale Road, Newry.
When
The incident occurred on 20 February 2021.
Other details
The doctor who took the blood sample wrote the wrong name on the form.
Charges
The defendant was charged with drug driving and speeding.
In court
The case was heard at Dundalk District Court.
Sentence
The case was struck out in May 2022 because the doctor was not called to give evidence.
9 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe defendant was 33 years old (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe defendant was travelling at 154 km/h in a 120 km/h zone (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe defendant was driving a Citroen Berlingo van (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe roadside saliva drug test was positive for cannabis and negative for all other drugs (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe blood sample taken at Drogheda Garda Station was positive for cannabis (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe doctor filled in the wrong name on the blood sample form (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whereThe defendant had an address at Glenvale Road, Newry (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whereThe speed check was conducted at Whiterath, Castlebellingham on the M1 (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whenThe speeding and drug test incident occurred on 20 February 2021 (dundalkdemocrat.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 6 May2022
    Acquitteddundalkdemocrat.ie, first report
    Dundalk court: Motorist who failed a drug test had his case struck out

    Case struck out at Dundalk District Court because the doctor who took the blood sample at Drogheda Garda Station wrote the wrong name on the form, and the doctor was not called to give evidence.

    accused, Mark Madine, 33, male, namedMark Madine