Dentist who made 'very foolish decision' to drive after meeting up with friend in Magherafelt loses licence for a year
A dentist whose car was spotted “swerving and openly correcting itself” in Magherafelt, has lost his licence for 12 months.
Thirty-nine-year-old Paul Suiter from Clanabay Lane, Antrim, was also fined £250 with a £15 offender’s levy for driving while having consumed excess alcohol in breath.
Magherafelt Magistrates Court was told on Wednesday the offence was detected shortly after midnight on April 4 by police on mobile patrol in the Union Road area of the town.
Prosecuting counsel said police suspicions were alerted by a vehicle “swerving and openly correcting itself” and they followed and stopped the vehicle at Aughrim Road.
The lawyer said police obtained the defendant’s details and noted he appeared “subdued”, and he failed a preliminary breath test.
She said he was conveyed to the custody suite where he provided an evidential specimen showing an alcohol reading of 65 mcgs per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs.
Admitting the offence, a defence lawyer said the defendant has no record and is “ashamed” of himself for this offence.
He explained that Suiter had gone out to meet a friend who was home from Singapore and had not intended drinking, but ended up taking four pints of beer.
Counsel said it was a “very foolish decision” to drive as he is a dentist and this case could have an impact for him. He asked the court to consider that the alcohol reading was on the low side.
District Judge Conor Heaney said he would give “maximum credit” for his early plea and remarked that it was in “very unfortunate” circumstances he found himself before the court.