Co Armagh man, caught by police 'heating his BMW seats' in a Craigavon layby, had 'a lot more than one tin of Guinness', a judge says
A judge hearing the case of a Co Armagh man, who was ‘heating the seats’ of his BMW, dismissed claims he had just one tin of Guinness.
Christopher McComb, aged 41, of Drumbeg, Craigavon, appeared at Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol in breath.
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Police were called regarding a concern for welfare of the defendant on December 30 last year claiming the defendant left his home in a BMW whilst intoxicated.
He was found in a layby on the Monbrief East Road a short time later sitting in the driver’s seat with the ignition on plus the lights and heating were on.
Police noted an almost empty tin of Guinness in the centre console with a further box in the back seat and a back pack in the front seat.
A preliminary breath test was 139 micrograms of alcohol, however McComb blew a lower reading of 97 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath in the evidential test. The legal alcohol limit for drivers in NI is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
“In interview he accepted that he'd been in the vehicle with the Ignition on in order to heat his seats as he was cold after a walk. He said he had one tin of Guinness but was not planning to drive anywhere that day and wanted to sleep in his car to clear his head,” said a Prosecutor.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan told McComb’s solicitor Ms Siún Downey that her client was “very lucky” he was charged with one count of in excess.
Ms Downey said she had explained that to McComb adding her client had never been in a criminal court before. “He is extremely embarrassed and nervous.”
She also explained the car he drives is a “push start” vehicle – one push starts the lights and the heating and the second push starts the engine.
Ms Downey added her client says he didn’t leave the house with alcohol on board and it was consumed when the car was stopped.
District Judge Ranaghan said: “This is a high reading. You had a lot more than just one tin of Guinness.”
He was banned from driving for three months and fined £185 plus £15 Offender Levy.