Teenage apprentice was over the alcohol limit when he crashed into a fence in Portadown, a Craigavon court hears
A teenager, who was over the alcohol limit when he crashed into a fence in Portadown, has been banned from driving.
Calum Boland, aged 19, from Tandragee Road, Portadown, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday pleading guilty to driving with excess alcohol, failing to stop where an accident occurred and failing to remain.
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Police spotted a Vauxhall Corsa mount the kerb and crashed into a fence on the Brownstown Road area of Portadown at around 1.30am on September 7 this year.
A Prosecutor revealed the fence was damaged but the defendant drove on. Police stopped Boland further down the road and he was breathalysed with an evidential breath test of 63 micrograms of alcohol to 100 millilitres of breath. In NI, the legal drink driving limits are 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
During interview he admitted drinking alcohol before driving. He told police he meant to turn a different direction and “over-corrected” which caused the collision.
"He was going to stop when safe but was pulled over by police anyway,” said the Prosecutor.
Boland’s solicitor, Mr Richard Monteith, said his client accepts that his inexperience plus alcohol contributed to the collision. “Having passed the test he is only a weekend driver,” said the solicitor, adding he understands he won’t be driving for the duration of the ban.
"Your Worship can see from the references he is a hard working young man. He’s been an apprentice since 16. He knows he has some good career possibilities and is anxious to do that,” said Mr Monteith, adding his client is supported by his parents and family in court.
“That’s impressive,” said District Judge Michael Ranaghan.
"He is a man who takes this seriously. He appreciates he shouldn’t have driven at all. He thought he was safe to. He didn’t have that much to drink and was really just on his way home,” said Mr Monteith, adding Boland is eager to get back on the road at the earliest opportunity.
The District Judge banned Boland for the minimum period permitted – 12 months – for the driving with excess charge. For the other two charges he was given a concurrent ban of eight months each. He was also fined £100 for each offence plus the £15 Offender Levy.