Drink driver caught driving in Magherafelt town centre with no headlights on

James Santhu, aged 36, from Station Road, Magherafelt, was fined £250 with a £15 offender's levy and disqualified from driving for 12 months for driving with excess alcohol in breath.

Santhu was fined a further £200 for being an unaccompanied L driver, and failing to display L plates arising out of the same incident on December 15 last.

Prosecuting counsel told the court that at approximately 2.45am, police were turning into Rainey Street car park from Queen Street when they observed the vehicle with no headlights illuminated.

He said it was dark and damp and there were members of the public walking around in the area.

The lawyer said police spoke to the defendant and detected a smell of intoxicating liquor coming from the vehicle, and noticed the defendant's speech was heavily slurred, his eyes were bloodshot and he was unsteady on his feet on getting out of the vehicle.

He was arrested and taken to Antrim police station where he provided a breath specimen which showed an alcohol reading of 111 mcgs per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs.

A defence lawyer explained that the defendant was with a friend and they had decided to go and get food.

He said Santhu had been driving for eight years in Indian and has "a good job over here”.

The lawyer asked the court to give him credit for entering a plea at the first opportunity.