PSNI spotted Co Tyrone motorist 'staggering' as he walked towards car
A man who was spotted by police staggering as he walked towards and got into a car in the town, has lost his licence for 18 months.
Tadas Stancelis, aged 44, from Clonabay, Coalisland, was fined £200 with a £15 offender’s levy for driving while having consumed excess alcohol in breath.
Imposing the penalties, District Judge Francis Rafferty remarked that the defendant has three previous convictions.
Stancelis was fined a further £100 for not having a driving licence.
Dungannon Magistrates Court heard that police were on mobile patrol in the Coalisland area at approximately 9pm on November 30 last year, when they saw the defendant drive off in the car.
Prosecuting counsel said they followed and stopped the vehicle at Washingbay Road, where they spoke to the defendant and noted a strong smell of intoxicating liquor.
The lawyer said Stancelis later provided an evidential specimen showing an alcohol reading of 135 mcgs per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 mcgs.
A defence lawyer stressed the defendant had only driven a short distance.
He said Stancelis has “issues with his alcohol consumption” but had fully cooperated with the police.