Ardboe woman who refused to give a breath sample almost crashed three times

Police received a report from a member of the public on the evening of April 1 that a white mini had almost crashed three times on the road. They said that they suspected the driver to be drunk.

The officers attended the home of Clodagh Quinn, 40, from Lakeview Cottages, and discovered her still sitting in the driver’s seat.

She stated that she had drunk a glass of wine before returning to her car. She refused to give a breath sample.

Mr Jarlath Faloon, defending, told the court that the loss of his client’s licence would be a major inconvenience due to her rural residence and her reliance on a motability car due to a breathing issue.

District Judge John Meehan handed down fines totalling £300 before banning her from driving for 18 months.