Magherafelt woman who had 'four cans of beer' when she got home, loses licence for 18 months

Fifty-year-old Susan Barry, from Mullaghboy Glen, was also fined £100 with a £15 offender's levy for driving while having consumed excess alcohol on September 28.

Magherafelt Magistrates Court heard at approximately 5.10pmm, police received a report of a potential drink-driver in the Union Road area.

Prosecuting counsel said they spoke to a work colleague who alleged they had attempted to take the keys from the defendant but she had driven away.

The lawyer said police later attended the address of the defendant and she provided a preliminary breath specimen which she failed.

She said Barry was taken to Dungannon custody where she provided an evidential specimen showing an aclohol reading of 100 mcgs per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs.

A defence lawyer said the defendant had no criminal record and was very anxious at appearing in court.

He explained that while she accepted she had been drink driving she had consumed alcohol – four cans of beer – in her house and had told police about this.

The lawyer said the defendant had considered a back calculation report but to obtain one would be too expensive.

He added the defendant was suspended from work and looked likely to lose her employment.

District Judge Oonagh Mullan remarked that 71 or more was in the “higher limit” and carried a 24-month disqualification.

She said she would keep the disqualification to 18 months which automatically qualified the defendant for the drink-driving rehabilitation course.