Coalisland driver claimed he and girlfriend were sheltering from rain

Appearing at Dungannon Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, Barry Dinsmore, 23, from Mountcairn Court, pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle whilst intoxicated.

The court heard how at 3.45am on August 2, police came across the defendant’s car parked across the road at Lineside in Coalisland.

The vehicle was stationary and blocking traffic. Police observed two people, a male and a female in the front of the vehicle, and also noticed that there was no key in the ignition.

When asked by police, Dinsmore located the key on the passenger seat and explained that he must have accidentally hit the handbrake while the vehicle had been parked at the side of the road.

Police detected alcohol from the defendant’s breath and found a reading of 67mcg when they breathalysed him.

His solicitor told the court that the couple had taken shelter in the car from the rain, and that Dinsmore needed the car for work. The defendant was also fined £150.