Co Armagh man crashed his mum's car in Portadown centre while on trip home from the Caribbean, Craigavon court hears

Lee Mullen, aged 33, from Woodview Park, Tandragee, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday to face a number of driving offences.

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He was charged with driving with excess alcohol, aggravated vehicle taking causing damage, no insurance and no driving licence.

When police arrived at a single-vehicle crash at High Street, Portadown, at 3.30am on June 15 this year, the driver of the black Corsa identified himself as the defendant.

His preliminary breath test sample was 83 micrograms of alcohol in breath. Tests showed he didn’t have insurance nor a driving licence. Mullen also told police he didn’t have permission to drive the vehicle by the owner, his mother.

An evidential breath sample taken in custody was 80 micrograms of alcohol in breath. The legal alcohol limit for driving in NI is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. He made full admissions to all offences.

Mullen’s solicitor Miss Siún Downey explained to District Judge Michael Ranaghan that her client is in some difficulty as he lives in St Martin in the Caribbean.

She said Mullen has been in this jurisdiction since June 10 visiting his parents and his father is "quite ill”. She added Mullen was leaving for St Martin on Thursday and asked if the District Judge would deal with the matter immediately.

"His partner is three months pregnant. They have a veterinary clinic and shelter in St Martin. He is extremely embarrassed to be here today and extremely nervous about appearing before the court,” she said.

"He instructs it was a stupid decision,” said Ms Downey, asking the District Judge to give him as much credit as possible for his early plea “given that this man will be leaving the country tomorrow and won’t be coming before the court or police attention in the near future”.

District Judge Ranaghan referred to a previous entry in Mullen’s record which he said “ties my hand” re disqualifications. “For excess alcohol I have to start at three years. That’s going to be higher given the combination of offences in this case,” he said, banning him from driving for three and a half years.

For aggravated vehicle taking he was banned for two years. For the no insurance and no driving licence he was given a six months ban on each.

District Judge Ranaghan asked how much the defendant had with him today (for the fines). Mullen told the court he had some money to pay fines and that he had already paid for the repairs to his mother’s car.

He was fined £100 for no insurance and for excess alcohol he received a fine of £150. For no driving licence he was also fined £100 and for aggravated vehicle taking he also received a £100 fine. He was also ordered to pay the Offender Levy of £15.

"You are lucky Mr Mullen. This matter may have crossed the custody threshold but as you are leaving us very shortly I will not interfere with that today,” said the District Judge.