Man gets 10 years for fifth DUI

A man is headed to the Montana State Prison for 10 years after pleading guilty to his fifth offense of driving under the influence.

Scott Kelly Walsh, 55, will have to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet if he is released.

Walsh told Flathead District Judge Heidi Ulbricht at sentencing that if he is released, he would like to go back to Washington state, where there is vast public transportation available.

Ulbricht told Walsh that would not solve his underlying problem. “I hope you will address your addiction problems,” Ulbricht said.

Walsh was convicted of driving under the influence in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2014 and 2015.

The 2014 and 2015 cases were felony cases. A suspended sentence for the 2014 case was revoked and the new sentence is included in Ulbricht’s sentence on Thursday.

The new sentence also included punishment for revocation of a suspended sentence in 2011 for felony intimidation. In that case, Walsh entered a Flathead County bar and falsely claimed that there were bombs in the building.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.