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Motorcyclist drove through red light and crashed into a car after drinking

Defendant 'very, very lucky that it did not cost him his life or someone else’s'

A Craigavon man who took the “foolish decision” to ride his motorcycle home after having a drink has been handed a 12-month disqualification.

Court heard the 26-year-old injured himself in an accident after going through a red light.

Christopher Marshall, of Beechgrove Park, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and breaching a traffic sign at the Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Court heard that police were called to a road traffic collision on the Portadown Road, Lurgan, involving a motorcycle and a car at around 6.30pm on March 25.

Marshall had been riding the motorcycle when he went through a red light and collided with a Ford Fiesta.

The defendant had then been thrown from his bike and suffered injury to his shoulder.

Court heard Marshall failed a preliminary breath test and was taken to hospital where he gave an evidential sample of 124mg of alcohol in 100 ml of breath.

Defence barrister David McKeown stated the defendant had “taken the very foolish decision to drive home after knowing he had taken a drink”.

He added: “He was very, very lucky that it did not cost him his life or someone else’s for that matter”.

It was heard Marshall works as a manager for a skip hire company and has been relying on lifts to work.

The defendant was disqualified from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay a fine of £400, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 16 weeks.

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