Craigavon man who drove onto a roundabout 'at speed' was more than double the drink driving limit

Daniel Murphy, aged 24, from Moyraverty Meadows, was accused of driving with excess alcohol in the Drumellan Walk area of Craigavon. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

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Craigavon Magistrates Court heard police were on patrols of the Craigavon area at around midnight on August 8 this year when they saw a vehicle exit the Brownlow Road onto the roundabout at speed.

Police stopped and noticed a ‘strong smell of intoxicating liquor’ from the vehicle. A preliminary breath test produced a reading of 90 microgrammes of alcohol to 100 millilitres of alcohol while the evidential sample was 75. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

Murphy’s barrister Mr Damien Halleron said his client has no previous convictions for driving with excess alcohol and has a clean licence.

Mr Halleron said his client is not working at the moment. “He is still a young man and he has very little explanation for me as to why he was out on the road at that time of the night having taken alcohol.”

The barrister said Murphy realised there would be an inevitable ban and asked that he be certified for the course which may to towards reducing the length of his ban.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said he wouldn’t interfere with Murphy taking part in the course and banned him from driving for 12 months. He was also fined £200 plus the offender levy of £15. He was given 15 weeks to pay.