The court hearing for a former MP implicated in a charge of driving while under the influence of cocaine has been delayed until June. Councillor Colm Keaveney, resident of Kilcrevanty, Tuam in county Galway, is facing a single charge related to allegations of driving with cocaine in his body. The incident is believed to have occurred last year on the 12th of June at Cummer, Tuam, located in county Galway.
The former Labour and Fianna Fáil MP, who is now a practising councillor on the Galway County Council, was briefly presented before Tuam District Court on a Tuesday morning. At the time of the brief session, Councillor Keaveney was absent.
The accusation against him suggests he operated a vehicle with the presence of cocaine, a substance known as Benzoylecgonine, in his system. Moreover, the bloodstream concentration of the drug was alleged to have been over the legal limit, infringing the Road Traffic Act of 2010.
In 2011, Councillor Keaveney won his first election to the Dáil as a Labour party representative, before choosing to become an Independent. Later, he switched parties, joining Fianna Fáil in 2013. Despite losing his Dáil slot in 2016, he managed to win a place on the Galway County Council representing Fianna Fáil in 2019.
Judge James Faughnan has agreed to postpone the case upon request from defence lawyer Gearoid Geraghty, who needs to confer with his client after obtaining the full disclosure. The case will resume in Tuam District Court on the 11th of June for either a plea or scheduling a hearing date.