Disagreement led to man going for drive

A factory worker who went for a drive after having a disagreement with his wife, has lost his licence for 12 months.
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Diogeves Oliveira De D’Valva (44), of Moneymore Road, Cookstown, was also fined £175 with a £15 offender levy for driving while having consumed excess alcohol.

He was fined a further £125 on a speeding charge.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan certified the defendant suitable to take part in the drink driving rehabilitation course.

Prosecution counsel told East Tyrone Magistrates Court, sitting in Omagh on Friday, that at approximately 1.10am on September 20, a vehicle made off from police at a speed in excess of 50mph around Cookstown town centre which is a 30 mph zone.

The lawyer said police followed the vehicle and it stopped at houses on the Moneymore Road. He said police spoke to the driver and “it was clear that he was under the influence of something.”

Counsel said the defendant failed a preliminary breath test and he was taken to Dungannon custody suite, where he provided a specimen which showed 52mgs of alcohol in breath.

A defence lawyer stressed it was “a relatively low reading.” He said the defendant has been driving since he was 17 and on this occasion had a few drinks and had a disagreement with his wife. The lawyer said he then went for a drive when he should have gone for a walk. He added that the defendant is a father-of-two children and works as a team leader at a local factory.

The judge said the case had been aggravated by the defendant making off from the police.