Was more than twice the limit to drive

A GILFORD man caught more than twice the legal drink drive limit at 11o'clock in the morning, has been banned for 16 months.

A solicitor for Roy Meredith McGaffin aged 50 from Ballymacanallen Road, Gilford said her client didn't realise he still had alcohol in his system from the night before.

However District Judge Ms Rosalie Prytherch stressed this was no error of judgement as his blood reading was more than double the limit.

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McGaffin was stopped by police shortly after 11am on 20 January at Banbridge Road, Gilord driving a Ford Ka.

When he spoke officers noted a very strong smell of intoxicating liquor from his breath. He failed a road side breath test and was taken to Banbridge where a blood sample revealed 85mgs of alcohol in 100ml of breath, some 50mgs in excess of the limit.

A solicitor said McGaffin did acknowledge the offence adding that on the night before he had been drinking.

"He was at home and got a call to say some of his cattle had got out. He had been made redundant and these 40 cattle are his only means of income. He didn't realise he still had alcohol in his system from the night before and this was an error of judgement.

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"He is a part-time farmer on a low income and has no previous record for drinking offences. He is fully repentant and embarrassed to be in court."

District Judge Ms Prytherch said, "You are lucky you didn't kill someone else or yourself. It just beggars belief sometimes."

McGaffin was told that if he successfully completes the drink drive offenders course his period of disqualification may be reduced to 12 months.

In addition he was fined 300.