Ex-GAA star, 40, arrested on suspicion of drink driving after found at crash scene asked cop ‘do you know who I am?'
A FORMER inter-county GAA player asked a Garda when she arrested him on suspicion of drink driving: "Do you know who I am?
Two-time All-Star hurler and
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The GAA ace allegedly had almost five times the legal limit in his blood.
The 40-year-old told
But Nash, who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, had the case against him dismissed in Cork District
According to Irish law, for a drink driving prosecution to succeed there must be proof that the driving took place within three hours prior to when the alcohol test is performed.
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Garda Byrne said a grey Skoda Kodiaq car crashed into a ditch on the side of the road at Cloghroe, and she arrived at the scene at 9.22pm after receiving a report from radio control a few minutes earlier.
The front of the vehicle had mounted the ditch with the back protruding onto the road.
She said a male came from the driver side of the vehicle, who was 'dishevelled and appeared distressed'.
She asked him if he required an ambulance and he said that he was 'okay'.
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This man identified himself as the driver of the vehicle and said: 'I'm drunk.'
She immediately cautioned him that anything he said could be used in evidence against him.
COURT EVIDENCE
She told the court: 'He was unsteady and his eyes were glazed. I asked the male if he was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident and he replied that he was.
"He then said, 'Do you know who I am?' I replied, 'No.' I asked if he had alcohol and he said, 'Yes a bottle of wine.' He said, 'I'm Anthony Nash', like I should have known him.'
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Garda Byrne said that at 9.35pm she arrested Nash, of Barter's Wood, Tower, Blarney, on suspicion of drink driving having formed the opinion that he was intoxicated.
'MY LIFE IS RUINED'
She said at that point he became visibly upset and said: "My life is ruined.'
He told the Garda that he needed to drive for his job and that his girlfriend would be unhappy with him.
Nash was asked to produce his driver's licence, which he did, and the court also heard that his insurance details were in order.
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The ex-Cork star was brought to Gurranabraher Garda Station in a patrol car where he provided a blood sample.
The allegation in the summons was that Nash had 236 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
Defending counsel said that while Gda Byrne received a call about the incident at 9.15pm there was no evidence as to the time of driving.
She applied for the case to be dismissed on the grounds that there was an absence of evidence on the time of the driving or the fact of the driving.
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'DEEPLY SUSPICIOUS'
Judge O'Leary said that the 'excellent' evidence of Gda Byrne was 'cogent and precise' and there was a lot that could be assumed and presumed.
He added: 'But this court does not work on the basis of assumptions. While it is deeply suspicious, this court does not convict on the basis of suspicion.'
He said that as there was no evidence of the time of driving he had no option but to dismiss the case against the defendant who was present in court.
Nash won four Munster championships during his time on the senior Cork hurling panel from 2005 to 2020.
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He won back-to-back All-Star awards in 2012 and 2013, was nominated for hurler of the year in 2013, and was also an
1
Anthony Nash was approached by gardai in Cloghroe in Blarney, Co Cork on the evening of August 9, last
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