Five year driving ban for over the limit motorist who had driven dangerously and failed to stop for police in Larne area
An over-the-limit motorist who had driven dangerously and failed to stop for police in the Larne area has been banned from the roads for five years.
Geoffrey Beattie (57), of Walnut Road in Larne, committed offences in the town's Ballymena Road district in the early hours of August 11 this year. He had an alcohol in breath reading of 78 - the legal limit is 35 - when taken to a police station in Belfast.
A prosecutor told Ballymena Magistrates' Court police were at Ballymena Road, Larne, and spotted an Astra car being driven erratically "and it kept crossing onto the wrong side of the road".
Police activated lights and sirens but the defendant failed to stop. The car was halted when a second police car blocked its path.
The prosecutor said that "thankfully there were no other vehicles on the road at that time of the morning".
The defendant was taken from the car. He had glazed eyes, was unsteady on his feet and "seemed confused".
A defence solicitor said it had been "very poor decision-making" and "very poor driving" and added: "he should have known better with his previous record".
He said the defendant had gone out with the intention of getting a taxi home but after drinking made the "foolish decision to drive home".
"Fortunately there was no accident, there was no traffic on the road," added the solicitor. The defendant was alone in the car.
Deputy District Judge Alan White said it had been "very poor driving" and was the defendant's fourth conviction for driving with excess alcohol - two a "long time ago" and the other less than three years ago.
"You are a man who should not be driving in my view," said the judge.
He banned him from driving for five years and also handed down a five months prison term, suspended for three years. There is also a £100 fine.