Group of men tried to stop Lisburn woman from driving as she appeared to be 'intoxicated', court hears
A Lisburn woman who drove her friend’s car whilst over the legal alcohol limit has been fined and banned from the roads for 12 months.
Abby Lucy Jackson-Hanna, 23, whose address was given as Blaris Park in Lisburn, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court charged with driving with excess alcohol in breath, as well as having no insurance.
The court heard that on May 17, 2025 police received a report from Citywatch, which operates CCTV cameras in Lisburn city centre, after they observed a female who appeared to be intoxicated, entering a vehicle on Chapel Hill in Lisburn.
It was stated that a group of men tried to stop her from driving any further.
When the police arrived at the scene, the defendant admitted getting into the vehicle and driving it a short distance, saying it was to help a friend.
A roadside breath test gave a reading of 65 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
The defendant was arrested and conveyed to custody, where another breath test gave a lower evidential reading of 64 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Defence told the court: “It is a strange and bizarre case.
"On this night she was out with a friend, who took her car out. Her friend went to move the car and the defendant told her friend not to. The defendant then moved the car slightly off the road and onto the kerb.
"She was very forthright with the police. She admitted it wasn’t her car and she wasn’t insured. It is an unfortunate incident for her and a steep learning curve.”
On the charge of driving with excess alcohol in breath, District Judge Rosie Watters disqualified the defendant from driving for 12 months, which will be reduced to nine months on the completion of a drink driving course.
The defendant was also told she would have to resit her driving test.
Ms Watters also imposed a fine of £250, as well as an offender’s levy of £15.
On the charge of having no insurance, Ms Watters disqualified the defendant from driving for six months and imposed a fine of £200.