A man was serving a road ban when he got behind the wheel and hit a speed of 112mph whilst being over the drink limit.
Verneris Bumbulis (32), formerly with an address at Avenue Road in Lurgan, but now living in the Downpatrick area, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, absence of insurance and driving with excess alcohol in breath on the M1 motorway near Portadown.
The offences were committed on Tuesday, January 28 this year.
At Craigavon Magistrates’ Court the defendant was assisted by an interpreter.
The speed was detected in a 70mph zone. The defendant was in a Mercedes Sport. He had an alcohol in breath reading of 72 – the legal limit is 35.
A defence barrister said the defendant had been drinking the night before.
He said the defendant has now moved away from “negative peers”.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said there were a umber of aggravating features – a very high speed, excess alcohol and the defendant was in breach of a Court Order.
The judge said the defendant also had a very relevant record and the driving ban he breached runs until 2028.
Judge Ranaghan said the “major concern” of the court was to keep him off the road.
The judge handed down a four months prison term, suspended for a year, and banned him for five years until 2030.
He warned the defendant that any driving in that period could lead to a “considerable period” in jail.
