Aircraft despatcher spotted drinking half a bottle of wine before driving off from a Moira supermarket, Craigavon court hears
A man was spotted drinking ‘half a bottle of wine’ before getting into his car and driving off towards Lurgan, Craigavon court hears.
The 62-year-old appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday.
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Warren Shane Haskins, from Thornhill Park, Lurgan, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.
Police received a report on August 18 this year at around 7pm of man drinking “approximately half a bottle of wine” before getting into his vehicle near the Supervalu in Moira.
He was driving a Ford Eco Sport on the Lurgan Road, Moira and was stopped by police outside his home address in Lurgan.
Haskins admitted to police he had been drinking and driving. He failed a Preliminary Breath Test and an Evidential Reading was 43 micrograms of alcohol to 100 millilitres of breath. The legal alcohol limit for drivers in NI is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Haskin’s defence lawyer said his client was on his way home from work and had stopped to get some fast food. While waiting he bought alcohol.
"He prematurely started drinking it which he now obviously comes to regret,” he said.
"He made full and frank admissions and hasn’t wasted anybody’s time,” said the lawyer, adding his client is a South African national who has been here for four years.
He is employed at Belfast International Airport as a senior aircraft despatcher.
"It’s a job where he has a lot of responsibility in loading the craft and ensuring each aircraft is safe for take off. He deals with the safety of a lot of passengers, day in day out,” said the lawyer.
"This is very much out of character. He is resigned to the fact that he is going to lose his licence and the implications that has for his job. It is shift work so he is going to be unable to attend shifts,” he explained.
He urged the District Judge to consider leniency given his early plea and the effect this would have on his job.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan described it as "bizarre behaviour” for a man who appears in this court with a clear criminal record. "Difficult to understand what on earth possessed you.”
He banned Haskins from driving for 12 months and fined him £200 plus £15 Offender Levy.