'Highly thought of' showjumping trainer in court after being caught drink driving and in possession of cocaine
A showjumping trainer has been caught drink driving and in possession of cocaine.
Neil Maguire (32), of Moorland Heights, Toome, came to police attention on Sunday April 12 in the Randalstown district.
Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday, was told police stopped a BMW which flagged up as having no MOT or insurance. A defective tyre was noted by officers.
There was a smell of alcohol coming from the defendant's breath and he failed a preliminary breath test. At Antrim Police Station he had an evidential alcohol in breath reading of 50 - the legal limit is 35. A prosecutor said a "small bag" of cocaine was in the defendant's wallet.
He pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in breath; absence of insurance and MOT; a driving licence offence; having a defective tyre; and possession of Class A drugs.
A defence barrister said Maguire is "highly thought of in the equestrian and horse training world".
He helps to train "young people to ride horses". Letters of reference were handed in to the court.
The defendant, he said, is from Kildare and now lives in Northern Ireland and is due to get married in November.
The lawyer said the defendant believed he was covered to drive the car but did not have a valid Northern Ireland driving licence. The barrister said Maguire stopped at a pub and had "two or three drinks".
"As regards the bag of powder in his wallet, again this was a one-off, and he says it is not a problem that he has," added the lawyer.
The defendant was banned from driving for a year and was fined £760.