Police activated blue emergency lights to get young Moneymore motorist to stop, court told

Nicole O'Neill, aged 22, from Rockview Park, Moneymore, was fined £250 with a £15 offender's levy and disqualified from driving for 12 months for driving while having consumed excess alcohol in breath.

The court heard police were on mobile patrol when they spotted a car with “smoke coming from its rear” being driven at speed along the Castledawson Road towards Castledawson Roundabout.

Prosecuting counsel said the vehicle exceeded 80 mph and was noticed clipping the kerb a number of times.

The lawyer said entering Castledawson Roundabout the police activated emergency blue lights and the vehicle was stopped.

The defendant later provided a breath specimen showing an alcohol reading of 72 mcgs per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs.

Admitting the offence Stephen Atherton, solicitor, explained that the defendant has been driving for two years and has never been in trouble with the police before.

He said she had been out that night and there had been an incident which she wanted to get away from as quickly as she could.

Mr Atherton said the defendant, who is unemployed, had been given an interim disqualification when the matter first came before the court last year.

Imposing the penalties, District Judge Conor Heaney noted that she was twice the legal limit. He allowed the defendant 20 weeks to pay the fines.