Lisburn man crashed and overturned his vehicle whilst more than twice the legal drink driving limit
A Lisburn man has been banned from the roads after crashing his car whilst more than twice the legal drink driving limit.
Aaron Houston, 45, whose address was given as Gravelhill Road in Lisburn, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court charged with driving with excess alcohol in breath.
The court heard that on Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 10am, police on mobile patrol were tasked to a vehicle being driven by the defendant, who was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol.
The police arrived at the scene at Gravelhill Road in Lisburn and observed a vehicle crashed and overturned, with a male, the defendant, standing beside it.
The defendant failed a roadside breath test and was conveyed to custody, where a second breath test gave a lower evidential reading of 79 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath.
A defence lawyer told the court: "There was an accident but thankfully no one else was involved and no damage was caused. He made full admission at the roadside.
"He indicates he had been drinking the night before and he believed he would be ok to drive.”
Asking the judge to keep the period of disqualified to a minimum, the defence continued: “He is ashamed to find himself before the court.
"He works full time as a baker and his employer speaks highly of him.
"As part of his employment he is required to travel to work at four in the morning and no public transport options are available to him at that time of the morning."
During sentencing, District Judge Suzanne Rice said: “This is a serious offence that’s coming before the court today.
"This places not only you at risk of harm but also anyone else in the vehicle or on the road. It is of concern in this case that you had an accident.
"I do take on board that you have pleaded guilty and that you don’t have any previous record.
"The reading of alcohol at the point you were arrested does give cause for concern.
"I have no choice but to disqualify you from driving.”
Ms Rice disqualified the defendant from driving for 12 months. She also imposed a fine of £300 and an offender’s levy of £15.