Sightseer who claimed he was intending to sleep overnight in his car in Bushmills was caught drink driving
A motorist caught drink driving in Bushmills said he was going a short distance to a car park to sleep overnight in his car.
Richard Middleton (69), with an address listed as no fixed abode in Coleraine but now said to be living in England, said he was sightseeing on the north coast and was also doing the Wild Atlantic Way route in the Republic of Ireland.
Ballymena Magistrates Court was told that on July 8 this year the defendant was seen stumbling across a road after leaving licensed premises in Bushmills and he had then driven at speed and collided with a fence. He had an alcohol in breath reading of 89 - the legal limit is 35.
A defence barrister said the defendant, a retired postman, had driven for over half a century and had only ever received one speeding ticket.
In relation to July "he was travelling around in his car, he was sleeping in his car".
After taking drink he was moving his car to a car park, the lawyer said.
The defendant was banned from driving for 14 months and he was fined £300.