Drink-driver fined and banned

Lawrence Smiley, of Rosemount, was also fined 150 after admitting a charge of driving with excess alcohol, when he appeared at Ballymena Magistrates Court.

The court was told that Smiley’s vehicle was observed leaving the car park of a bar around 3.15am on November 30.

He was eventually stopped at Benvore Park, Cargan, where he failed a preliminary breath test and later provided a breath specimen with a concentration of 75 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35/100.

Barrister Stephen Law said Smiley admitted having been drinking that evening but was surprised at the reading, adding::

“He did not think he had consumed that much.”