Had seven times legal limit of cannabis in his system, Carlow court heard
Car ignition with key, close-up
A CONSTRUCTION worker who was found to have seven times the legal limit of cannabis in his bloodstream while driving in Carlow was fined and banned from the road for four years. Lukas Jurgilas (26), Foxtown, Summerhill, Co Meath pleaded guilty at Carlow District Court to drug-driving following an incident on Wexford Road, Ballinacarrig on the night of 28 July 2025.
The court heard that gardaí stopped a black Ford van and discovered its tax had expired. On approaching the driver, the garda detected a strong smell of cannabis and administered a roadside drug swab, which returned a positive result. Mr Jurgilas was arrested and taken to Carlow Garda Station, where blood samples were obtained.
These confirmed 7ng/ml of cannabis in his bloodstream. The legal threshold is 1ng/ml, prompting Judge Geraldine Carthy to remark that this was significantly over the limit.
Mr Jurgilas has three previous convictions. Most recently, in April, when he was convicted at Naas District Court for the same offence of driving while exceeding the drug limit, receiving a one-year disqualification. In January 2026, he was convicted of a misuse of drugs offence, for which he received a fine.
His solicitor, Tertius Van Eeden, told the court that his client, originally from Lithuania, had been living in Ireland since 2015 and had effectively been raised here. His family had since returned to Lithuania, leaving Mr Jurgilas on his own. Mr Van Eeden said his client, a full-time construction worker, had been coping through substance abuse but is currently seeking help for those issues.
The solicitor asked the court to place a stay on the disqualification until 1 August, saying his client “has a few things to settle before this”. Judge Carthy asked to confirm that a postponement on the previous disqualification was already in place until the same date.
She then convicted Mr Jurgilas, imposing a fine of €300 and disqualifying him from driving for four years, to take effect from 1 August.
