Cookstown motorist who drove away from service station on seeing police car was found to be more than twice the legal alcohol limit
The driver of a car who turned away on seeing a police vehicle parked at a Cookstown service station, has lost his licence for 18 months.
Robert Lorick, aged 34, from Knockaleery Road, Cookstown, was also fined £200 with a £15 offender's levy for driving when unfit through drink on October 4.
Lorick was fined a further £200 for failing to provide a specimen of breath when required to do so by police on the same date.
Dungannon Magistrates Court heard that police were at the service station at Burn Road, Cookstown, in the early hours of the morning when they observed a car stopping in the middle of the road before turning and moving off in the direction of Westland Road.
Prosecuting counsel said police followed and observed the vehicle swaying from side to side on the road as it headed towards Orritor Road coming to a halt at the traffic lights over the stop line.
The lawyer told the court the vehicle continued along the Orritor Road for another 100 metres, despite the police vehicle having its blue lights activated.
She said on speaking to the defendant, police observed his eyes were glazed, speech was slurred, and there was a smell of intoxicating liqour from the vehicle.
Lorick provided a preliminary breath specimen at the roadside which showed an alcohol reading of 83 mcgs per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs.
Counsel said the defendant was taken to Dungannon custody, where he attempted five times to provide an evidential specimen despite having the procedure explained to him.
A defence lawyer said Lorick, who works in financial services, apologised to the court.
He said the defendant had attempted to provide a specimen of breath but had then worked himself into a state of anxiety.
The lawyer explained the defendant had been working in London but moved to his employer’s Belfast office, as he wanted a slower life in the country.
District Judge Francis Rafferty remarked that his life was about to get a lot slower.
Counsel said the defendant had gone into Cookstown to meet with some friends and mistakenly thought he was closer to home.