An Armagh man who was detected over twice the limit on his way home from the previous night’s partying has been handed a 12 month disqualification.
Ryan Traynor, 23, of Dillon Heights, had a plea of guilty entered on his behalf to driving with excess alcohol at the city’s Magistrates’, sitting at Newry, on Tuesday.
Prosecution outlined that on July 5, police received a report of a suspected drink driver in Armagh.
Officers stopped the defendant driving a Lexus on Banbrook Hill in the city and upon speaking to him detected a strong smell of intoxicating liquor.
A preliminary breath test was conducted at the roadside with a subsequent evidential sample obtained in custody giving a reading of 83mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
Defence barrister Conor Coulter stated that Traynor had been drinking at a house party the night before until the early hours and had believed he was fit to drive.
He added: “This was a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity and he appears with no record.”
The defendant was disqualified from driving for 12 months and was ordered to pay a fine of £200, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within four weeks.
District Judge Eamonn King did certify Traynor for the drink driving course which would see his ban reduced to one of nine months upon completion.