After drinking heavily the previous day a Portadown man is caught over the drink driving limit in Lurgan
A Co Armagh man who was drinking heavily the previous day was caught by police over the drink driving limit, a court hears
Lewis Lucas, aged 32, from Churchill Park, Portadown, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with driving with excess alcohol.
-
-
The court heard that on November 24 this year at 1.00am police were on mobile patrol in the Silverwood Road area of Lurgan and spotted an Audi A4 driving “extremely slow”.
When they stopped the defendant they smelled alcohol on his breath. An evidential reading was 54 micrograms of alcohol. The legal alcohol limit for drivers in Northern Ireland is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Lucas’ solicitor Mr Harry McCourt said his client does have a previous conviction for driving with excess in 2020. He said his client had been "drinking heavily” the previous day but was “clearly still over the limit” the next day.
The solicitor added that his client is currently not working as he is suffering from cancer, and though in remission, he needs his car to get to and from appointments. “However he accepts he is losing his licence,” said the lawyer.
He added Lucas has a child and uses his car to see his child. “It’s going to have an impact in that regard,” said Mr McCourt.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “The court is always concerned to hear any diagnosis of cancer and, in your case, this is going to impact on your child. That’s regrettable but ultimately Mr Lucas this is your fault.”
He banned Lucas from driving for three years and fined him £250 plus the £15 Offender Levy.