Woman was found in her driveway with both airbags deployed after crashing into a lamp post, Craigavon court hears

Bernice Quinn, aged 57, from Ballynadrone Meadows, Magheralin, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with motoring offences.

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She pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, failing to stop at a damage-only accident, failing to remain and failing to report the accident.

The court heard that at around lunchtime on November 26 last year, police received a report of a road traffic collision in Magheralin.

"Police were told the female was displaying symptoms of intoxication,” said the prosecutor, adding that the vehicle had crashed into a lamp post.

Police located parts of the vehicle at the scene and went to the defendant’s address. “She was in the driveway, stationary in the car. Both airbags had been deployed. There was substantial damage to the front of the vehicle,” said the prosecutor.

“There was also a strong smell of alcohol emanating from Ms Quinn. She failed a preliminary test,” said the prosecutor, adding that police had retrieved a bumper and the registration plate laying next to the damaged lamp post.

The lower evidential reading of breath was 73 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit for alcohol in a breath test in NI is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

During an interview with police the defendant said she was turning into the road and it was down a hill. “I think I was distracted by the low sun and I just went straight into the lamp post,” said Quinn. “I really didn’t think I was over the limit. I was coming from Moira.”

Her explanation of failing to stop was that she only lived around the corner. “I thought I would just get the car home and then I would phone. I was so embarrassed. I was shook up,” Quinn said.

The prosecutor told the court that Quinn was followed by a member of the public who was “going to assist police and make sure she didn’t make off from the scene” which “she clearly didn’t”.

Quinn’s lawyer explained the defendant had been drinking until 4am that morning. “She had got up that morning believing that she wasn’t over the limit.”

District Judge Alan White said: “She was more than twice the limit. Hard to believe.”

Quinn’s solicitor added his client suffers from severe osteoporosis and “will have great difficulty getting around without a vehicle”. He explained Quinn works in Belfast and because her car has been written off she had to rely on taxis which is costing her more than £100 a day to go to work.

He added his client has a previous drink driving conviction from 2017.

District Judge Alan White said the matter was aggravated by the fact that “she was more than twice the limit which casts grave doubt on the idea she thought she was fit to drive” and also aggravated by the other offences.

He banned her from driving for three years and three months for driving with excess alcohol plus fined her £300 and the £15 offender levy. He also issued her with a two-year concurrent driving ban and fined £50 on each of the other three offences – making it £465 to pay.