Co Tyrone motorist struck a stop sign after being reported 'driving all over the road', court told
A Co Tyrone man who struck a stop sign was over three times the legal drink-drive limit, Dungannon Magistrates Court was told on Wednesday.
Twenty-six-year-old Jamie Kiernan McMenamin, from Park Road, Sixmilecross, was fined £300 with a £15 offender's levy and disqualified from driving for 18 months for driving with excess alcohol in urine.
The court heard that shortly after midnight on September 28 last, police were tasked to a crash at Old Dungannon Road, Ballygawley.
Prosecuting counsel said there had been a report of the vehicle involved driving all over the road before the collision.
She said police spoke to the defendant who was along with another male at the entrance to a factory.
The lawyer said police could not identify who had been driving and both males were taken to Craigavon Hospital to be checked for injuries.
She added McMenamim provided a urine specimen which showed an alcohol reading of 345 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine. The legal limit is 107 milligrams.
A defence lawyer admitted it was “a high reading”, but asked the court to give the defendant as much credit as possible.
He said the defendant had been celebrating his team in the championship and was leaving his friend home.
The lawyer said his vehicle struck a stop sign, but there was no other damage to property.
He added that while the defendant initially made a no comment to police, he later made a full admission.
District Judge Francis Rafferty told McMenamin it was a miracle he did not injure himself, his passenger or other road user.