Motorcyclist was over drink drive limit

Christopher Marshall (26), Beechgrove Park, Aghagallon, admitted driving with excess alcohol in his breath on March 25 this year. He was fined £300 and banned for 12 months.

For breach of a traffic sign he was fined £100 and disqualified for six months.

The court heard that at 6.30pm a road traffic collision happened between a car and a motorbike. The defendant had driven the motorbike through a red light on the Portadown Road in Lurgan and collided with the car.

Marshall was thrown from the machine and went along the road, suffering shoulder injuries. He was taken to hospital where a blood sample was obtained and this gave a reading of 124 – the limit is 80.

A barrister representing Marshall said he very foolishly took the decision to drive thinking he would get home without incident.

He added that he was lucky he only escaped with shoulder injuries and that no one else was hurt.