A man accused of driving a heavy goods vehicle whilst almost four times the limit has been granted bail.
Newry Magistrates’, sitting at Lisburn, on Tuesday heard the 42-year-old is alleged to have been detected by police at around 5pm in the afternoon on the M1 motorway.
Radoslaw Pawel Sola, of Cloniff Road in Enniskillen, is charged with driving with excess alcohol on July 27 of this year.
At a previous court hearing it was revealed that the defendant had given a reading of 127mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath at 5pm.
Speaking on Tuesday, a constable stated that initially it was believed Sola did not have a suitable address for bail but one in Enniskillen had since been provided.
He said: “This is a case in which he was driving a lorry at five o’clock in the afternoon and was found to be about three and a half times the limit.”
The constable informed the court that enquiries with colleagues in the Republic of Ireland showed Sola had been disqualified for two years and three months back in 2007.
Further to this, upon speaking with authorities in Poland, it was established that the defendant had been convicted of an offence of drink driving in 2010.
Defence barrister Conor Coulter stated: “My instructions are that he accepts drinking on the Sunday into early Monday morning.
“A suitable address in Enniskillen has been put forward, he is visited twice a week at this address by his two children, aged 17 and six.”
He continued: “I believe that with stringent bail conditions any concerns can be assuaged. He has had some mental health difficulties and is going through a divorce at the moment.
“It is my opinion that this would appear to be a fairly straight forward case in the long run.”
District Judge Amanda Brady released Sola on his own bail of £500, with conditions including that he is not to be in the driver seat of any commercial vehicle, not to be in the front seat of any private vehicle, not to consume alcohol and to surrender his passport.
The case was then adjourned until August 24 for an update.
