Hit parked car while drunk

Brendan Peter Daniel O’Hare (47), Dromore Street, Banbridge, was fined banned from driving for 16 months last Thursday at the local magistrates’ court.

He was also fined £200 and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy for driving with excess alcohol in breath on August 16 this year.

For failing to stop at the scene of an accident he was fined £200 and given a concurrent 16 month ban.

On completion of a course for drink driving the ban would be reduced by four months.

The court heard that at 5.30pm police received a report of the defendant hitting another car while trying to park at the Eurospar on the Scarva Road, Banbridge. There was minor damage.

The defendant, who was clearly drunk, went into the shop and left a few minutes later, driving off erratically.

At 8.10pm police went to O’Hare’s address and noticed damage to the front of his car.

He was extremely drunk and was arrested.

At Lurgan custody suite he gave an evidential breath test which had a lower reading of 115 in breath.

When interviewed the following morning he admitted drinking before he had been driving and drinking again before his arrest.

A solicitor representing O’Hare said he was currently unemployed but did a lot of charity work.

He explained that the defendant had been at his mother’s house to make dinner and foolishly decided to have a bottle of wine.

The solicitor added that on his way home O’Hare stopped to get some groceries and did not realise there had been a collision.

He said his client was a man of good character and that was shown in references before the court.

District Judge, Mr Paul Copeland, said this was ‘highly irresponsible conduct’ and O’Hare had been heavily intoxicated as indicated by the reading.

He added that while the defendant was well respected in the community he could not overlook the degree of intoxication.