A Gilford woman who drove whilst almost four times the legal limit through Armagh has been handed a 12 month ban.
The district judge acknowledged that 54-year-old’s lack of record but commented that this was an “exceptionally high reading”.
Bernadette Devlin, of Woodlands, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol at Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Newry, on Tuesday via videolink from her solicitor’s office.
Prosecution outlined that on October 16, police on patrol in Gilford observed a Peugeot 207 causing an obstruction at a junction on the Woodlands area.
The driver of the vehicle was not located in the are but checks revealed the last registered owner to be the defendant.
Officers attended her home, a preliminary breath test resulted in a fail with a subsequent sample obtained in custody giving a reading of 139mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath – almost four times the legal limit.
Defence solicitor Oisin Toner stated that his client had worked as a nurse in Craigavon Area Hospital but had in recent years struggled with alcohol, attending Cuan Mhuire back in 2018.
He said that Devlin was re-engaging with her GP, pointing to her sister’s recent cancer diagnosis and home move brought on by the selling of her property by the landlord.
District Judge Bernie Kelly acknowledged that Devlin appeared with no record but commented that this was an “exceptionally high reading”.
The defendant was disqualified from driving for 12 months and was ordered to pay a fine of £350, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 16 weeks.
