Portadown construction worker (37) reversed into his neighbour's car while more than twice the drink driving limit, Craigavon court hears
A construction worker reversed into his neighbour’s car after three in the morning while more than double the drink driving limit, a court hears.
Christian Butarita, aged 37, of Fitzroy Street, Portadown pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in breath, no insurance and driving while disqualified.
-
-
Police were tasked to a road traffic collision in the Deramore Drive area of Portadown on August 24 this year at around 3.15am. The driver of a Mercedes struck another vehicle and had alcohol taken, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday (December 3).
"The defendant came out of his house, admitted being the driver of the vehicle, crashing and had alcohol taken,” a Prosecutor said.
A preliminary breath test read 114 micrograms of alcohol to 100 millilitres of breath. An evidential test read 83 micrograms of alcohol. The alcohol limit for driving in NI is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Police systems showed there was no insurance for the vehicle which was SORNed and Butarita was also banned from driving.
The defendant’s barrister Mr Conor Coulter said his client pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and full admissions were made at the scene.
He explained his client had SORNed the vehicle and his partner was expecting delivery of it to her property. “He had taken alcohol and made the extremely foolish decision to get into the vehicle with limited visibility and reversed into a neighbour’s car.”
He added that his client had paid for the damage to the other vehicle "long before this case even arrived at court and apologised to the owner of that vehicle”.
Mr Coulter said his client, who works in the construction sector, has been deemed suitable for Probation and Community Service. “I think alcohol played a significant part in his offending.”
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “The main job of this court is to stop people offending again. In your case, the best way to do that is to make you subject to a Combination Order that will entail one year’s supervision by Probation and 70 hours Community Service.
"You must complete both orders. If you don’t you will be back before me for resentencing,” he said and banned the defendant from driving for three years.
"This will be your last chance to avoid prison.”