A Dungannon woman, who arrived to work intoxicated after driving into a parked car, will be sentenced next month.
Bernadette Hughes, of Oakview, appeared before Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Newry Courthouse on Tuesday, where her solicitor indicated guilty pleas to the charges.
The 65-year-old is charged with: driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to provide a specimen of breath, failing to stop at a damage-only accident, failing to report a damage-only accident, failing to provide a specimen after allegedly driving with excess alcohol and driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs.
The court heard on Tuesday, July 16, at around 8.30pm, police received a report of a Citroen vehicle driving erratically in the Ardmore area of Armagh.
A second report was received stating the vehicle had struck a parked car and driven off.
A third report later came from staff at an assisted living facility, which stated a staff member had arrived into work intoxicated. They were driving a Citroen and a wing mirror on the vehicle was hanging off.
Police attended the scene and observed the defendant sitting on a sofa in an intoxicated condition.
A preliminary breath test was requested and the defendant was given a number of opportunities to comply, but refused.
Checks on police systems revealed she had been disqualified from driving for 16 months in February.
She was arrested and conveyed to Dungannon custody, where she refused to provide an evidential sample of breath.
On hearing the facts of the case, District Judge Anne Marshall queried if the defendant was suitable for community service.
Judge Marshall ordered that a pre-sentence report be produced to investigate all options, and the defendant appear before court again on October 22 for sentencing.
