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A once-prominent Omaha real estate agent who also served on the board of the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority was sentenced this morning to 30 to 72 months in prison for drunken driving.
It was the fifth DUI offense for Kevin D. Irish, 54. Under state sentencing guildelines, he'll serve about three years.
In a plea deal, Irish pleaded guilty in December to felony DUI, and prosecutors dropped other felony charges. He faced up to 20 years in prison.
According to La Vista police, a call about an intoxicated driver near 108th and Harrison Streets came in about 2:48 a.m. on Nov. 10, 2008. Barcal said an off-duty Omaha police officer had been following Irish. La Vista police pulled Irish over near 90th and Harrison Streets and immediately thought that Irish was impaired. Authorities said his eyes were bloodshot, his speech was slurred and he told officers he had had a "couple of drinks."
When officers told Irish to get out of his Ford Escape, he had difficulty keeping his balance and following directions. He tried to get back in the car during the field sobriety test, telling officers he had to make a phone call. Irish then refused a breath test and again tried to get back in his car and leave.
Officers tried to remove him from the car, and Irish resisted, scuffling with the officers.
Irish was taken to the Sarpy County Jail, where he refused another test.
Irish's attorney, James Martin Davis, has said his client chose to plead guilty to the charge to "accept responsibility for what he did."
Davis said in December that Irish had been sober for 12 months, had completed 30-day inpatient and seven-month outpatient treatment, attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at least twice a week and did volunteer work by reading to the blind.
Irish is a former president of CBS Real Estate and has been involved in several development projects across the metro. More recently, he worked with Prudential Ambassador Real Estate.
Drinking took all of that away, Davis has said.
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