A Tandragee man caught drink driving at a police checkpoint has been banned from driving for 16 months.
Darren Kelly, of Ballybeg Park, was also fined £300, and ordered to pay the £15 offender levy at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The 45-year-old appeared on the charge of driving with excess alcohol in breath.
The court heard that on December 8, 2024, police were conducting an authorised vehicle breath test check on the Armagh Road in Portadown.
At 9.15pm, they stopped a Ford Focus being driven by Kelly – who failed the subsequent breath test.
He was arrested and taken to Lurgan custody, where he produced a lower evidential alcohol reading of 63 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit in Northern Ireland is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Kelly’s defence lawyer explained that he had gone for drinks for a colleague’s birthday after work. He left before the rest of the party but made the “very silly” decision to drive home.
He added that Kelly, who works as a full-time chef, co-operated fully with police and was not stopped for erratic driving.
District Judge White, while accepting the guilty plea, noted that Kelly had a similar previous conviction more than 10 years ago.
Judge White commented: “Although the previous conviction is outside the 10 year period, it is still relevant because it’s your second conviction for what is a serious offence.”
Kelly was disqualified from driving for 16 months and fined £300, with Judge White adding if he did it again he could face a jail sentence.
