Craigavon man was spotted by PSNI driving with his lights off after watching a football final at a friend's house

William Jones, aged 41, from Bluestone Hall, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with driving with excess alcohol.

-

-

The court heard that on July 29 this year at midnight, police were on mobile patrol on the Drumgor Road, Craigavon. They spotted a white Vauxhall Insignia coming towards them with no lights on and crossing the central line towards the opposite side of the road.

Police turned to follow the vehicle and saw that it hit the kerb. When the driver was stopped, police smelt alcohol from his breath, his speech was slurred and they spotted an open beer tin in the central console and open alcohol in the back seat.

The self-employed plasterer provided an evidential breath sample at 88 microgrammes of alcohol to breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath

Jones’ lawyer said his client was driving from one development to the next and "by his own admission he had no need to do it”.

"In his own mind, the rationale was that he was going to work the next morning and he wanted the vehicle at his own house,” said the lawyer.

He had been out to watch the football final at a friend’s house and was coming home with his alcohol. “Any disqualification is going to cause him great problems,” said the lawyer.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan banned Jones from driving for 14 months plus he was fined £250 and ordered to pay the £15 offender levy.