A Portadown man who was caught driving twice the legal limit the day before Christmas Eve has been handed a 16-month disqualification.
Court heard that the 33-year-old spent Christmas Eve in a cell with a judge branding this a “success” of the police’s clampdown on drink driving over the festive period.
Glen Roy Martin, 33, of Village Walk, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol at Armagh Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Court heard that on December 23, at around 2.30am, police received a report about the manner in which a vehicle was being driven on the Portadown Road, Armagh.
Witnesses claimed that the car had hit something which had caused its tyre to become detached from its axel.
Officers arrived and found the defendant close to the vehicle.
Martin accepted that the car did belong to him and that he had been drinking.
The defendant failed a preliminary breath test and was taken to Lurgan Custody Suite.
A second evidential sample revealed that Martin had 72mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
After being advised of the date, Deputy District Judge Peter King noted that the defendant had “spent Christmas Eve in a cell”.
Defence solicitor Gabriel Ingram stated: “On the night in question Mr Martin had been at a friend’s house socialising and he had a few beers.”
He added that the defendant had claimed not to have eaten that day which could have had an impact on the reading.
Court heard that Martin worked as a care assistant. He did have a record but not for this sort of offence.
However, the defendant had been disqualified in February 2017 due to a “totting up” of penalty points.
District Judge King stated: “Mr Martin, you are a success of the police drink driving detection around the festive period.
“You were found to be more than twice the legal drink drive limit the day before Christmas Eve.”
Martin was disqualified from driving for 16 months and ordered to pay a fine of £250, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 15 weeks.
The defendant was certified for the drink driving course which would see his ban reduced by a quarter upon completion.
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