Woman weeps in court as her partner is jailed for driving offences
A woman wept and slumped to her knees in court as her partner was given a jail term for a number of driving offences.
Her partner, 37-year-old Christopher Hugh Mitchell, of Hollybank Road, Parkgate, near Ballyclare, was sentenced at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena.
The court heard that on April 25 this year he was caught driving a Skoda Octavia in Antrim town whilst he was disqualified and without insurance.
And on July 7 Mitchell was again in the same car whilst disqualified and without insurance but this time he was also over the drink drive limit. He had an alcohol in breath reading of 60 - the legal limit is 35.
The court heard that defendant had been in breach of a driving ban after being disqualified from driving for four years at a court last year.
A defence solicitor told Tuesday's court the defendant "should know better by now".
The lawyer said the Octavia was the defendant's partner's vehicle and because she has health issues the defendant made the "mad decision to drive for her".
District Judge Nigel Broderick remarked that the defendant had an "atrocious" record of 52 previous convictions and that he had at least three convictions for drink driving.
The defendant was given a six months jail term and was also banned from driving for six years.
As he was being taken to the cells, the defendant's partner, who had been in the public gallery during the hearing, broke down and slumped to her knees.