A man found near his upturned car on a rural road the morning after celebrating his birthday told gardaí he had been walking home and found it that way, writes By Noel Baker, Senior Reporter.

Liam Dundas of Old Terrace, Main St, Kilbrittain, Co Cork, was found guilty of not telling gardaí who had been driving the vehicle before it crashed.

He initially told gardaí he had been walking home from birthday celebrations in Clonakilty when he found his car overturned on the road at Carhoo, Timoleague, shortly after 7am on March 6 last.

Garda Aisling Keating told Judge David Waters at Clonakilty District Court gardaí were alerted to a road traffic accident and attended the scene at 7.45am.

She said she saw the car overturned in the middle of the road, that it was a single-vehicle accident, and “there was nobody else at the scene”.

She said she saw Mr Dundas was intoxicated and “there was a strong smell of alcohol on his breath”.

At that stage Mr Dundas said he was not the driver and he did now know who had driven the car. The court also heard Mr Dundas had claimed “he was walking home and came upon the vehicle like this”.

Subsequently Mr Dundas said he was willing to make a statement on the matter but later informed gardaí he was no longer willing to do so.

His solicitor, James Brooks, said the facts were accepted in the case and that his client would be entering a plea to the charge of failing to provide information as to who was driving the car.

He said Mr Dundas was being taken home by another party that he did not know.

He said his client was 22 and had been working in Cork for two years and liked his work, which meant travelling 45km each way on a daily basis.

“He is really pleading for his job and his licence,” Mr Brooks said.

Judge Waters convicted him of the charge of failing to provide the information to gardaí, fining him €800.